A Disturbance in the Force
by 3rd-Generation
Summary: Set after Season 3 episode 1. What if Hera's decision to take away Ezra's command caused him to doubt in his future with the rebellion? Unsure of his future Ezra embarks on a soul searching journey to try and find where he belongs in the universe. What will be Ezra's final decision? Who will he side with? Who will he fight?
1. Chapter 1

"Suspend my command?" Ezra entered his room followed closely by Zeb "Is she serious?" Ezra turned to face Zeb.

"Look mate I know it wasn't easy…" Zeb began.

"If it wasn't for me they wouldn't have those bombers and the rebellion would be that much weaker. They would have all been destroyed if I hadn't made the call to retrieve them" Ezra could feel the anger welling up inside him.

"Look kid…I'm sorry this is how it turned out" Zeb began

"They're scared of me….of what I can do….They fear me" Ezra continued.

"EZRA" Zeb finally caught his attention.

"What?" Ezra finally realizing he wasn't even listening to his friend.

"Are you listening to yourself? This isn't like you. Hera made a tough decision but as the new leader of Phoenix squadron it's what she has to do" Zeb let that sink in as he studied Ezra's face. He didn't like what he was seeing.

"It's not just Hera…Kanan too. He trains me but whenever I get stronger he stops. It's like he refuses to see the full potential in me. The only person who has taken an interest in making me stronger…was Maul" Ezra had turned back around and was resting against the wall.

"Ezra" Zeb eyed him cautiously "you're not actually thinking of seeking out Maul, are you? The stories I've been told, tell me he's not the best teacher for you" Zeb never took his eyes off Ezra's back.

"Of course not…Maul would just use me for his own gain. It's just that he was the only one to want to see me get stronger" Ezra still refused to turn around as he just rest against the wall with his back to Zeb.

"We all want to see you get stronger so you can help fight the empire" Zeb tried but somehow knew it was pointless at this point.

"I think I just want to go to bed…I'm…tired" Ezra slowly ascended his ladder and propped himself onto his bunk.

"Uh yeah…I think I should go see if anyone needs help with something" Zeb backed out of the room and with a hint of unease and dread he turned around and closed the door. He knew immediately he would regret that later.

*Early Dawn*

"Chopper" Ezra tapped the small droid who flared to life with beeps, grunts and noise that Ezra had hoped wouldn't happen.

"Settle down it's just me" Ezra quickly quipped to settle Chopper down before he woke everyone in the Ghost. "I need a favor"

Ezra lead Chopper outside the ghost towards an old A wing fighter that was left out and unanchored as it was waiting to have the hyperdrive repaired. Chopper began making a lot of noise as he demanded to know what they were doing.

"SHHHHHHH! Chopper quiet" Ezra surveyed the camp to make sure nobody had woken up. Surprisingly Ezra didn't even see the regular patrols out but he just chopped it up to good luck.

"Can you fix it? The hyperdrive?" Ezra asked as Chopper began to shake and point at Ezra.

"I just need to get away from this place for a while. I promise I won't destroy the ship I just really need to clear my head and think about some stuff" Ezra was being as truthful as he could with Chopper knowing it wouldn't take long for everybody to question Chopper when they found him missing.

"Thanks" Ezra smiled as Chopper beeped a few more times and then started working on the hyperdrive. After a few minutes Chopper turned and started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ezra asked amused while also keeping a lookout for any patrols. Chopper explained through his droid language and what he said caused Ezra to smile.

"So it was just a loose connection causing the power to be diverted away from the hyperdrive. Haha well guess that's good news for me. How long to fix it?" Ezra turned around as Chopper explained.

"It's fixed?" Ezra turned around and looked at the ship. "Thanks Chopper…I'll see you again trust me on that" Ezra placed his hand on the droids head realizing that through his travels Chopper was probably the only other one who could relate to his situation.

With a quick hop Ezra landed in the cockpit and started the fighter up. Smiling and with a final wave Ezra pointed the A wing towards the sky and took off as quickly and quietly as possible. Leaving the atmosphere Ezra looked back at the moons surface and finally frowned. He wasn't sure if he would ever return but he was sure of one thing. Lothal was his destination.

Engaging the hyperdrive Ezra set coordinates for Lothal and before he knew it he was costing through space towards his home…and one of the strongest Empire strongholds.

"Well no turning back now" Ezra rested against the seat and waited.

*Lothal Orbit*

(Star Destroyer Ascension)

"Are you sure the rebel fleet won't return to Lothal?" The second in command asked.

"They would be foolish too. We have thirty Star destroyers covering the planet and blocking any possible entry to the planets surface. We will detect them before they even exit light speed" The commanding officer spoke as he surveyed the emptiness of space before them. The emperor had assigned extra security to Lothal after previous rebel attacks. He had even seen it appropriate to send his second in command Lord Vader to oversee Lothal's submission.

The admiral admired the brute force of the Empire and reflected on why he joined in the first place. It had seemed like an eternity ago but in truth it had only been seven years. He joined because he saw the Empire was unstoppable. He witnessed a star destroyer come under attack and before it sustained even minimal damage three others destroyers had arrived and dispatched the attacking forces. It was the single most powerful display of brute strength he had ever seen. The very next day he had enlisted and quickly rose through the ranks to command his very own Star destroyer fleet.

"Commander" Someone called from behind him. "There is a ship entering Lothal's orbit. Censors indicate it's a rebel ship. It appears to be an A wing fighter"

"An A wing fighter out here alone?" the Commander watched the depths of space and quickly saw the ship exit light speed only 500 yards from the Star destroyer.

"A wing fighter this is Star Destroyer Ascension. Reduce speed and prepare to surrender" The commander didn't even wait for a response and ordered the tractor beam to lock onto the approaching ship.

"Ship locked and ready to be captured" the man at the controls spoke.

"Capture at once and prepare a detachment of troopers to meet it in the hanger. I will be there shortly to personally interrogate this rebel" The commander began walking towards the elevator.

 **AUTHOR NOTE**

 **This Chapter is just to see if anyone is interested in seeing where I plan to take this story. Please review and let me know. This was very short small chapter compared to what I do plan to write so if you like what you read here please review and let me know.**

 **Also sometimes it will be awhile before an update but in those cases I will upload multiple chapters as needed.**

 **Thank you.**

 **3** **rd** **-Generation**


	2. Chapter 2

"I'll ask you one more time. Where is the rebel base?" The Admiral asked as he stood over a seated Ezra.

"I don't know. I already told you I stole that fighter from some pilot who left it in a transport" Ezra responded for the fourth time.

"Which transport is that?" He spoke again never taking his eyes off Ezra

"I don't know" Ezra again responded.

"Well you'll have plenty of time to rethink your answers while you…" The Admiral was cut off by a low-class soldier entering the room.

"Sir...we…we have something else on scanners"

"What is it private?" The admiral was not pleased.

"Sir…I think you should come with me" The private motioned towards the door.

"commander secure the room and ensure that our guest does not move" The admiral exited the room.

"Yes sir" the storm trooper commander responded "Cover the door and don't take your eyes off the prisoner" The commander

"this seems like a lot more security then a regular star destroyer" Ezra spoke to the commander.

"Quiet" Was the only response.

"I'm just saying that three storm troopers guarding one small kid seems like a waste of resources to me" Ezra smiled as he continued "But I guess a low-class destroyer like this one wouldn't be much use for actual fighting"

"The Ascension is one of the best destroyers in the empires fleet and is the lead ship in this fleet" The commander cut Ezra off before he spoke again "So before you try to speak ill of this ship or its crew realize that it is hopeless for you to escape" The commander did not move an inch which caused Ezra's confident smile to waver.

"Well private what have we got on scanners?" The admiral asked as they walked down the corridor

"Nothing sir. I wanted to show you this" The private held out his hand showing a slender metallic pipe type item.

"What is this?" The Admiral took the odd device and turned it over in his hands.

"Well it's…" Before the private finished the blade shot out of the end glowing a bright green.

"A lightsaber?" the admiral spoke as he held the weapon in his one hand.

"Yes…the troopers discovered it aboard the A wing fighter" he spoke with concern in his voice "What should we do? If he is a"

"A what? Jedi? Absurd" The admiral had set the weapon on a latch attached to his belt.

"Sir what are your orders" The private obviously concerned about their prisoner asked.

"Contact General Tarkin on the surface and inform him of our prisoner and discovery. Return to me when he responds" the Admiral turned and began walking back towards the interrogation room.

"What is your ploy boy?" The admiral asked aloud to himself as he continued to walk down the corridor.

(CHOPPER BASE)

"Where is he?" Hera stood over Zeb as he sat at the table trying to eat.

"I told you Hera I don't know. I woke up and he was gone" Zeb defended himself.

"You share a room with him. So, you're saying he slipped out without you knowing?" Hera was getting annoyed and her eyes depicted this.

"Listen Hera he was gone when I woke up. I figured he was out with Kanan or Sabine so I didn't know he wasn't in the base until you came asking where he was" Zeb again responded very aware of Hera's mood.

"Well he's not past the barricades" Sabine entered the Ghost and took a seat next to Zeb "None of the patrols saw anyone come or leave from any of the exits"

"Commander Syndulla, I have a report" The Ghost communicator turned on and a face appeared on screen. It was one of the Pilots of Phoenix squadron.

"What is it?" Hera stood at attention.

"My A wing fighter is gone. The hyperdrive was malfunctioning so it was docked for repairs but when I came by to check on progress I was informed it had been stolen" The pilot reported.

"Oh Carabass" Zeb spoke aloud.

"Zeb" Hera eyed him "What do you know about this?" Hera was in a no-nonsense mood now.

"It's just…Ezra was complaining about your decision the other day to take away his command. He seemed to be questioning his place…He felt like you and Kanan didn't want him to get stronger. He was stressed out and under pressure Hera. Even I don't blame him for needing a break" Zeb spoke purposefully leaving out the talk of Maul.

"He should know better then to steal a rebellion fighter. We need every ship we have if we are going to keep this rebellion going" Hera was getting madder.

"Well in any case Ezra is missing and someone should tell Kanan" Sabine said as she stretched out in her seat making it obvious she wasn't going to do it.

"I'll do it" Hera said as she turned and left the Ghost.

Hera exited the Ghost surveying the surroundings for Kanan. It only took a few moments for her to spot him on a distant hill in his meditation position. She began walking in his direction wondering how he was going to take the news that Ezra had disappeared and potentially stole one of their fighters. As she was thinking about Kanan's reaction she was wondering if she had possibly been to hard on Ezra. If she was honest he made the exact same call that she or Kanan would have made in his situation. He had retrieved the bombers that they desperately needed. He had ignored the directive of the mission but she supposed the parameters did change and he adapted to the new situation.

Lost in her thoughts she practically walked over Kanan who was still deep in meditation. She caught herself mere feet from his position. She sighed heavily and reached out to grab his shoulder.

"Ezra's gone" Kanan spoke with his back still to Hera.

"You knew?" She asked with curiosity evident in her voice.

"I haven't been able to sense him since this morning" Kanan still refused to move from his spot.

"We think he may have taken one of the damaged A wing fighters" Hera continued.

"Then he couldn't have gone far" Kanan responded "But I still can't sense his presence. I've reached out through the force but something is blocking my ability to find him" Kanan twitched a little as he spoke

"Blocking your ability?" Hera had a hint of concern in her voice now.

"It could just be distance. No telling how far he got" Kanan slowly rose "But for now I say we…" Kanan stopped as he felt a disturbance in the force.

"Kanan?" Hera got worried.

"Something is wrong…Ezra is in serious danger" Kanan spoke calmly but even Hera could sense he was getting worried.

"Can you tell where he is? What is wrong?" Hera asked.

"No…no it's…it's vague…I can't pin point a location" Kanan spoke while trying to focus.

"Kanan" Hera moved closer

"HERA" Sabine raced up to the pair. "HERA AN INTERCEPTED IMPERIAL COMMUNICATION. I THINK THEY HAVE EZRA" Sabine turned and ran not bothering to see if both were following as she could feel their presence hot on her tail.

"Commander Syndulla. One of the coms operators spoke as they entered. I'll play back the message" He said as he hit a few buttons. Jun Sato had beaten the crew of the Ghost to the communication center and was eagerly awaiting the message.

"On a hunch I asked the communication center to run a scan through imperial transmissions for key words like Ezra, A wing fighter or Jabba the hut" Sabine explained as they raced in. "They got a hit almost instantly" Sabine pointed to the holo-recording that was intercepted.

"General Tarkin this is Star destroyer ascension. We have captured a lone rebel ffffff…."

"Where is the message?" Hera demanded

"It's distorted but we have old codes and translators that don't always work" came the response.

"A wing fighter contained. Search revealed…." It broke again.

Hera turned to Sabine "This is a long shot if you think they have Ezra" Hera spoke as she saw no evidence that Ezra was captured by imperial troops. Sure they had an A wing fighter but there were potentially hundreds in the galaxy and they could not be certain that this was the same fighter Ezra had taken.

"Light saber" The transmission flared to life "We think he may be the Jedi rumored to be working for the rebels"

"Very good commander. I expect triple security and for there to be no problems until I arrive to speak with this…Rebel" The unmistakable voice of Tarkin rang through the Holo-message right before the message went blank

"He's on the Ascension?" Zeb spoke while looking around the table.

"That could be in any number of systems" Jun Sato spoke up as the voice of the fleet.

"Well maybe we can search communication for Tarkin and trace which system he's in?" Sabine offered.

"It'll take to long to sift through communications and find one that tells us with certainty which system he's in" Hera responded.

"And by then they could move him like they did to Kanan last time they caught a Jedi" Zeb offered.

"We have to find him" Hera spoke with urgency "Does anybody have an idea?"

"Well…. What about Lothal?" Sabine thought aloud "I mean if Ezra is alone wouldn't it make sense that he would return home.

"we can't just assume" Zeb said

"Well what else do you want from me?" Sabine got defensive. "I'm just throwing out ideas"

"Everybody at the table began throwing out ideas of where Ezra might have gone or where they may have been keeping him. Only one member at the table remained silent. Kanan remained motionless as he allowed himself to fall into the force. Searching for any hint of Ezra through the uncertainty and whatever else was blocking his abilities to find him. His mind went blank and a single planet formed itself in the back of his mind. An orange planet. One they knew well. He knew where Ezra was.

"Lothal" Kanan finally spoke

"Huh?" Zeb asked

"Ezra is on Lothal…It's faint but I can sense him" Kanan spoke again

"Are you sure? The hyperdrive on that fighter was broken…How could he have made it there?" Hera clutched Kanan's shoulder

"I don't know but I can sense he's there but we have to move. I cannot keep track of Ezra through the force. Something is causing a disturbance and I think I know what it is…We have to move now" Kanan spoke with urgency.

"Commander Sato" Hera turned to the man across the table.

Commander Sato thought for a brief moment before issuing his order.

"The Ghost will take their ship and four Hammerhead fighters and 5 phoenix squadron fighters to retrieve Ezra. Extract and retreat and return to base. Is that clear?" Sato spoke with authority.

"Yes sir" Hera spoke before turning and racing for the Ghost. Followed closely by the crew. Zeb had to carry Kanan as Hera was no longer leading him by holding his hand.

"Will Ezra be ok? Tarkin isn't the easiest guy to get along with" Zeb spoke as they ran.

"He'll be fine he's got a thick skull" Sabine joked to hide her worry

"Ezra what are you doing?" Kanan spoke softly to himself.

Star Destroyer

(Ascension)

"So, when can I get a meal? I'm starving" Ezra smiled as he looked back at the Admiral

"You talk a big game boy but know that the empire is on to you" The admiral spoke with conviction.

"Why? Because you found a small pipe in the ship I stole?" Ezra had noticed his lightsaber on the Admirals belt the moment he returned but was refusing to look at it hoping to convince them he didn't know what it was.

"This pipe" he pulled it from his belt "Is an ancient weapon of the Jedi. Care to tell me how it came into your possession?" He turned it over in his hand

"Sure, let me see it and I'll tell you all about it" Ezra smiled as he placed his hands behind his head.

"Not likely" he reclipped the weapon to his belt "I will however remind you that we have been here for over an hour and the quicker you comply and answer our questions. The quicker we can decide your fate"

Ezra just continued to smile with his hands resting on the back of his head. He was thinking of a good retort. He had even contemplated using the force to grab his lightsaber back but decided against it as there was no way he would survive that. Before Ezra could respond another officer entered the room.

"Sir shuttle approaching" He spoke directly to the commander not paying the least bit of attention to Ezra

"Good, General Tarkin will deal with this boy" The admiral began for the door "I look forward to hearing all the useful information we extract from you boy. General Tarkin can be very…persuasive" The admiral spoke just before the doors closed.

"Yeah like I would say anything" Ezra spoke to himself as he started trying to find a way out of his situation. It unnerved him that they had increased the number of troopers in the room from three to nine. It just added more obstacles to his plan of escape. The trooper commander also never took his eyes off Ezra so it was even harder to try anything without being spotted.

While Ezra was thinking of his escape and what he could possibly do he started to feel something. It was familiar but with his attention divided he was unable to place this feeling. After finally resigning his thought of escape to impossible at this point he decided he needed to wait until he was being transported to a new cell or to the planets surface before attempting an escape.

Ezra began to feel it again. Familiar yet strange. It was something he didn't expect and something he never forgot. Ezra subconsciously brought his hand up and grabbed his arms on either side of his body. Ezra felt strange.

Ezra felt…. Cold


	3. Chapter 3

(Star Destroyer Ascension)

"General Tarkin I am honored by your presence" The Admiral boasted as he witnessed the General walk down the ramp of his escort shuttle.

"Ahhh Admiral Varus I am pleased with the progress of your fleet" Tarkin stopped in front of the saluting Admiral "At ease"

"Thank you, sir. Would you like to be taken to the prisoner now?" Varus was trying to keep the nervous tone from his voice "Or would you prefer a tour of the Ascension?"

"No need. I will not be staying" Tarkin looked around the hanger he was standing in. Almost a picture-perfect scene of the empires organization and power. The rows and rows of tie fighters ready to be launched in the name and defense of the empire. All containers stacked and labeled and ready to be used at a moment notice. Troopers patrolling their assigned locations with no falter in their steps. This ship was perfect.

"Sir?" Varus asked perplexed by the Generals statement.

"I am not needed here. I will be returning to the surface shortly and will be in contact as required" Tarkin turned and faced the ramp to his shuttle.

"But sir, the prisoner?" Varus was concerned and even more confused by the general's words

"Is not the reason I came here. I only came to relay new orders that are to take effect immediately" Tarkin remained with his back to Varus "By order of the Emperor"

"The Emperor?" Varus had a feeling he was not particularly going to like the orders he was about to hear.

"Your ship will now serve as the command ship for the entire Lothal sector. All orders will be broadcast from this ship and all space military occupations in this sector now report to this ship" Tarkin spoke again not turning to face the Admiral

"Sir?" Varus could hardly contain his smile as he heard this news.

The new orders had indicated his ship be the designated command center for the entire Lothal Imperial fleet. Having ones ship given such an honor was always followed by the honor in terms of a promotion to the ships Admiral and the only rank higher than Admiral was Grand Admiral. Such a promotion would also most certainly be presented to him. Varus began thinking what it would be like to be promoted to the distinguished rank of Grand Admiral.

"However," Tarkin continued "Command of this ship will be transferred immediately. Do not worry admiral. Your rank will remain unchanged but you will now answer to the new commander of this vessel and the new commander of the Lothal Imperial fleet" Tarkin awaited the response.

Varus was taken aback by this news and somewhat angered. Angered not just for loosing the promotion he had just assured himself he was about to receive but from the last statement Tarkin made. Another officer was to take control of his ship, of HIS fleet? He had worked for years to get to the rank he was and to lose his ship to another officer who he hadn't even met yet was almost as insulting as a demotion. Varus grit his teeth as he kept himself from saying anything he would regret and he knew he would regret saying anything without thinking right now.

After a few seconds Varus composed himself and decided to ask the only question that mattered at this point in time.

"S…Sir if I may ask. Who is the new commander that will be taking over my ship" Varus didn't hide the anger or disappointment in his voice

"Don't worry Admiral…Your ship will be in good hands" Tarkin responded as a feint echo came from the ship.

"Sir" Varus began to protest but immediately stood a little straighter and shut his mouth as someone descended to shuttles' ramp.

"Is that?" Varus whispered

"Lord Vader I trust you will be pleased with this ship and its fleet" Tarkin spoke more aloud then directly at the dark lord.

Darth Vader didn't stop as he continued past Varus and started for the bridge.

"I suggest you not keep our lord waiting" Tarkin bid his farewell to Varus and boarded his shuttle.

Varus was still in shock as to who was aboard his ship and who was the new commander of his Ascension. It didn't take long though for Varus to regain his composure and hurry to catch up to Vader. Varus was no fool, though he had never met lord Vader in person before he had been told many stories of those who had failed him. Those who failed Vader were rarely given a second chance; the only times he heard of a second chance being given were when the emperor himself has allowed it. Varus made a mental note never to fail lord Vader.

"Lord Vader welcome aboard" Varus began his introduction "I am Admiral Varus…"

"Bring the prisoner to the bridge" Vader spoke slowly but clearly

"I beg your pardon Lord Vader but I think it would be better iiiiiiii….." Varus grabbed at his throat instantly as he felt a slight pressure begin to form around his windpipe making it increasingly difficult to breath.

"I am not interested in what you think Admiral. I want the boy brought to the bridge and if you can't do that then I will find someone who can" Vader let go of the Admiral

"Yes, my lord. My apologies. I will have him brought to the bridge immediately" Varus massaged his throat as he took slow deep breaths. Standing a little stiffer Varus realized he had made his first mistake. Not immediately following Darth Vader's orders. Varus exhaled slowly and began walking towards the interrogation room.

"Well look who finally came back" Ezra smiled as he saw the Admiral walk back into the room "Where is Tarkin?" Ezra pretended to look around as if the general could be somewhere else in the room.

"Commander I require an escort back to the bridge. Secure the prisoner and you shall accompany me" Varus ordered obviously ignoring Ezra's taunts.

"Yes sir" The trooper responded as he pulled a pair of shackles and attached them to Ezra's wrists

"Mind explaining?" Ezra asked as he was yanked from his seat and pushed down the hallway.

"You are to be escorted to the bridge. Lord Vader will decide your fate from there" Varus stated as he fell in line beside Ezra along with the Trooper commander on Ezra's other side.

"Vader?" Ezra began to feel cold again but this time he was sure it wasn't entirely because of the Sith lords' presence.

"Hey keep moving" the trooper shoved Ezra a little in the back with his blaster as the young Jedi began to slow the pace.

Ezra had been looking around for an open air vent or a small enclosed space he would be able to slip into with little chance of immediate pursuit. He knew he couldn't avoid this meeting of Sith and Jedi but if he could postpone it, buy himself some time to prepare, then maybe he could have a shot. Lead Vader to where he wanted him to be. Set some traps to keep him off his game and maybe he could even get lucky and destroy the Sith lord. Evan as Ezra thought this though he realized how farfetched and unbelievable he sounded. He was about to check his surroundings again when it hit him.

"The cold" Ezra stood at a huge pair of doors and awaited them to open.

"The boy my lord" Varus announced as he began walking a little quicker to beat the escort to Vader as the doors opened before them.

"Very good Admiral" Vader never turned around. Even as he heard the doors and knew who was entering the room Vader had stayed near the large windows at the head of the bridge. Even now that Ezra was standing right behind him he hardly moved.

"Lord Vader?" Varus was cautious about his words.

"That will be all Admiral" Vader turned around "Remain on the deck and prepare for my orders" Vader then focused his attention on Ezra.

The cold stare unnerved Ezra to the point that he didn't have the strength to even make a snide remark. Unlike last time when Ezra had his lightsaber and

His lightsaber? Ezra's eyes flashed to the Admirals belt where his weapon still hung on a thin clasp. His shackles were just simple rings attached to lock his wrists together but his hands were still free. He could use the force to grab his saber and before Vader knew it he would have cut the Sith lord down. He could do….He would do it.

"You wish to strike me down with your lightsaber" Vader stated more then asked

Ezra looked at Vader almost astonished as if the Dark lord had read his mind.

"Your fear and lack of conviction give you away" Vader still did not waver in his stare. "I sense a great deal of unrest in you young Jedi. Fear…anger…frustration…darkness. I sensed it the moment I boarded this star destroyer. You have unlocked the secrets to a Sith holocron" Vader was shocking Ezra with how much he knew for having just seen him in such a long time.

"Yeah I used it. I used its secrets to destroy empire facilities and the troopers that tried to stop me" Ezra got bold

"Good. Your anger makes you strong" Vader then turned towards the Admiral "Hand me the lightsaber" Vader held out a hand. The Admiral was quick to unclasp the weapon and hand it over to Vader.

"Very well designed but lacking the discipline of a true Jedi" Vader gripped the weapon in his hands and turned it over "Resembling that of your master" Vader squeezed the lightsaber tighter "But in the end nothing but weak and unreliable material that only those in the rebellion would think useful" Vader heard a slight snap then did something that shocked everyone on the bride including Ezra. He held out his hand and offered the weapon back to Ezra.

"Take it and strike me down. Let your anger guide you. Let your hate free you" Vader didn't even make an attempt to grab his own lightsaber to defend himself.

"Lord Vader I don't thin this wise" Varus began causing the Dark Lord to shift his attention if not momently away from Ezra.

" _That's all I need"_ Ezra thought

Ezra's arm shot out grabbing the lightsaber with almost blinding speed and before even Vader could react he ignited the blade and struck. Vader obviously caught unaware by the blinding speed that Ezra had accomplished reached for his lightsaber to defend himself but it was to late. Ezra thrust the saber forward and pierced the Dark lords' chest. Ezra could smell the burning suit of Vader as the lightsaber pierced the dark lord suit and exited through his back. Vader stumbled but remained upright while Admiral Varus just stood their stunned. Unable to show emotion beyond his mask Vader just stared in what Ezra could only imagine was disbelief at what had happened.

"Let your hate…Make…You...Strong" Vader got out as he finally dropped to a knee all the while Ezra continued to hold the lightsaber on point and through him.

"I am not like you" Ezra spoke finally "I AM STRONGER" Ezra withdrew the sabre and Vader fell to the floor unmoving. Ezra turned to face the rest of the crew on the bridge and with nary a smile Ezra began his attack.

Ezra blinked his eyes to help refocus them and again found himself staring at the lightsaber held out in Vader's hand. It seemed so plausible and so easy. His imagination made him think it could be that quick and easy but Ezra was no fool. He knew that this was a trick to see if he would give in, but he wouldn't.

"It's broken, isn't it?" Ezra finally spoke as he looked up into the mask of Vader

Not even speaking Vader attempted to operate the weapon and to Ezra's surprise the blade ignited in his hands. If only for a few seconds as it immediately shut down and refused to operate. Ezra thought he may have impressed Vader. Ezra was wrong.

"You don't understand or know the power of the dark side, boy" Vader tossed the weapon aside as it was no threat anymore.

"I know that the rebellion is beating the empire slowly and they fight in the name of the republic. I know that even though you say the dark side is stronger you have yet to win any major victories over us" Ezra boasted at the challenge.

Vader stared into the eyes of Ezra, at least that's what anybody who was not connected with the force would see. In truth Vader was forcing himself into the mind of Ezra. Seeking out his fears and worries. Ezra used every ounce of his strength to resist. Vader was stronger.

"Lord Vader" an imperial officer brought him back to reality "We have discovered an intercepted transmission just as you predicted"

"Very good" Vader turned to the Admiral who looked a little dumbfounded.

"The rebels have intercepted my message. They will be here shortly" Vader spoke "Admiral I want three star ships including this one to make jump to the closest system and await further orders. I then want a total of six star destroyers brought up to this location. The rebels will be here soon" Vader turned back to Ezra "Admiral if any of the rebel's ships that appear have the call sign of Ghost. Do not destroy it. I want those rebels alive"

"Yes, my lord" Admiral Varus began relaying orders to move his best destroyers into the sector and make the jump with the four others.

"I will show you the power of the empire" Vader turned back around and faced the window as Ezra stood beside him now not knowing what was going to happen.

"What are you going to do?" Ezra looked at Vader no longer fearing for his life because he was to busy worrying about his friends.

"I will show you the power of the Empire and the true power of the Dark side" Vader continued to look forward. Ezra was a little concerned about that last part of his claim as he didn't see how this would show him the dark sides true power.

"By capturing my friends? Ha, good luck with that. They've been in worse situations and they've always escaped" Ezra chuckled to himself

"They will not escape this time" Vader tilted his head to look at Ezra "I will get the answers I want and they will cooperate" Vader returned his gaze out the window "One way or another"

"You'll have to catch them first" Ezra tried to counter

The Star Destroyer began to move and before Ezra knew it they were in a very close yet distant sector of the galaxy. Ezra took a small look around and witnessed three other star destroyers emerge from the jump. He still was not sure what Vader was planning but the fear running through him was easy enough to pick up.

"Admiral prepare to jump" Vader ordered acting as if he no longer noticed Ezra

"Y…Yes my Lord" Varus responded and began relaying orders.

"Wait, you're planning" Ezra began, then fell silent. _"Kanan please don't fall for it. Please understand what is about to happen"_ Ezra fell into the force but found his senses had dulled. He couldn't sense Kanan even though he should be able to. Ezra began to fall even further into the force and he realized he was starting to feel cold. The further in Ezra went the colder he felt and he still could not sense Kanan or the rest of the crew. Ezra began to get frustrated.

Standing beside the young boy Darth Vader was sensing the inner turmoil the boy was having. Sensed the force enveloping the young Padawan. Sensed the cold…the fear…the frustration. Beneath the mask Vader smiled.

"Your anger will make you strong" Vader repeated even though Ezra was so far away he could not hear him.

"Lord Vader" Varus spoke but Vader already knew what he was about to report.

"Move the ships back to the coordinates I have provided" Vader didn't move and didn't expand on the fact he had sent his plan to all thirty ships in the fleet while he waited on the bridge for Varus and the boy. Varus had the illusion of control but Vader was the puppet master and he had set everything up to his specification. There would be no mistakes this time.

"Ready to jump, My Lord" Varus responded and didn't even wait for another order as the ships started to make their jump back.

"Witness your destiny" Vader spoke aloud as he felt Ezra returning to his own consciousness

"My what?" Ezra asked but was met with silence as the ships began to make the jump.

 ***AUTHOR NOTE***

 **Sorry for the slow updates. My busy work/study schedule only allows me a small amount of time to work on this at any point time. The next few chapters I am planning to make quite long and more in depth. But with your support this story will continue. I look forward to writing and hearing what you think of each chapter.**

 **Thank you**


	4. Chapter 4

(The Ghost)

"So, what's the plan Hera?" Sabine asked from her position at her consol.

"We're approaching Lothal. I expect the Empire to have increased security around the planet. Once we enter the system Kanan will use the force to search for Ezra in any nearby ships. If they still have him he should be easy to find. The Hammerheads will escort us and provide protection while we get the job done" Hera said as she continued to stare out the window.

"And if he's not on one of the ships?" Zeb asked the obvious question

"Then we jump and regroup. We'll find him one way or another. We have to" Hera answered

Zeb and Sabine shared a look of worry but were not about to voice their concerns. The last thing they needed to do was get everyone's hopes down before they even knew if Ezra was safe or not. Secretly they both wished to take a different course of action.

"If Ezra is aboard a ship we're only going to have one course of action" Sabine said aloud for everyone to hear "With the Phantom destroyed in our last mission the Ghost will have to board the ship. Some will have to stay behind to protect the ship while another group find and escape with Ezra"

"Right" Hera agreed "Sabine and Zeb will retrieve Ezra and Kanan, chopper and myself will protect the ship. The rest of the fleet will provide the diversion and help with our escape" Hera flipped a switch so she could talk to the other ships.

"Retrieval teams one, three and four when we arrive I want you to cause a distraction. Split up any imperial ships in the area with rapid unpredictable attacks. Team two you're with us. I want you escorting us to wherever we need to go as protection and to help with escape if needed. A-wing fighters pick a ship and defend it from TIE fighters. This will be a quick operation so be prepared to leave on a moment's notice" Hera ended her orders

"Roger that flight leader" Came the response from the hierarchy of the ships.

"Kanan anything yet?" Hera asked knowing that ever since they left he had been trying to use the force to get a clearer image of what was happening.

"Nothing yet" Kanan continued to try and sense Ezra through the force. He could sometimes get a clear image of Ezra but it usually only lasted a few seconds and wasn't long enough to determine where he was. Most of the time he could only get a vague sense of Ezra but was shut out by a shroud of darkness and cold. The cold is what began to worry Kanan. The more he searched the colder he became.

" _...Don't fall for it..."_

"Ezra" Kanan spoke aloud grabbing everyone attention.

"Kanan? Did you find him?" Hera asked as she diverted her attention from the front window.

"No…I heard him. A warning" Kanan was trying to figure out what he was being warned about. Since it was cut off before the whole message could be received he was unsure exactly what he shouldn't fall for.

"Well it's a start" Sabine said trying to lighten the mood of the Ghost

"Heh that's Ezra for you. Always leaving warning to the imagination" Zeb gave a halfhearted chuckle

"Regardless of what it was it means Ezra is out there and trying to help us" Hera spoke as she returned her attention to flying the Ghost

"Hera…" Kanan placed a hand on her shoulder knowing full well she was scared. As the leader though she could not afford to be scared. Everyone looked up to her and was counting on her to keep a cool head during this mission.

"Kanan I know wha…" Hera was cut off by the sound of an alarm going off in the helm of the Ghost

"What's that?" Zeb looked around at the flashing red lights that began to illuminate the Ghost

"Star Destroyers!" Sabine began looking at the warning flashing on her screen

"Well we expected a stronger defense but we've handled a few star destroyers before we can handle them again" Kanan spoke matter-of-factly

"Not a few destroyers. SIX!" Sabine turned back to Hera and Kanan

"Six?" Hera was trying to wrap her head around the number "Why so many?" Hera turned to her crew

"EZRA's WARNING!" Kanan sat forward "We need to inform the rest of the ships now. IT'S A TRAP"

Hera moved quickly flipping the communication switch allowing her to communicate with the rest of the ships. She knew it was to late but she had to try.

"Attention all ships prepare" They exited their hyper jump.

Nobody spoke…they just stared.

The Ghost crew, along with the rest of the fleet, barely had a second to stare at the destroyers before them. Six destroyers lined up in a defensive formation not allowing any for of attack besides a frontal assault. That would-be suicide. Hera was lost in though of what they would do next when the destroyers began to fire.

"All ships break formation. Await further orders" Hera turned to Kanan "Find Ezra"

Kanan nodded and quickly fell into the force searching for any sign of Ezra. Kanan fell further and further and still couldn't find him.

"HOLD ON!" Hera made a quick turn throwing Zeb against Sabines chair. "All ships dodge and fire at will"

Immediately the ships began to fire, but Just as Hera suspected their firepower was not enough for six star destroyers.

"Hera, we have incoming TIE's" Sabine adjusted herself at her console.

"Great what else could go wrong" Hera dodged another onslaught from the star destroyers.

"He's not here" Kanan spoke from almost a distant place

"What?" Hera was trying to concentrate

"Ezra's been moved" Kanan spoke again as he slowly came back to his senses.

"Then we have to go" Hera couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Command ship this is Hammer head three. We've been hit. We need immediate help" Hera turned the ship towards a smoking mass that was barely moving.

"That's not good" Sabine leaned forward to get a better look.

"They don't have a chance" Zeb stared "Their shields are down and their engines have stopped"

"We have to try" Sabine spoke with an almost angry tone in her voice

"If we try we will be gunned down too" Zeb countered. He hated being so harsh but he was sure they wouldn't survive an encounter with the star destroyers.

"Will we?" Hera asked aloud as she surveyed the scene before her.

Six star destroyers opening fire on all the Hammer heads. The Hammer heads were taking damage and obviously on the loosing end of this fight. They wouldn't hold out for much longer and she knew it. The A wings were dropping fast as they were overwhelmed but the sheer number of TIE fighters that were engaging them in dog fights. This was a loosing battle for the rescue squadron but Hera did notice one detail.

"They're not firing at us" As she spoke she realized it was true. The star destroyers were firing at all vessels except the Ghost but she didn't know why.

"I think she's right. They seem preoccupied with the other ships and haven't attacked us yet" Zeb looked through the window at the space around them seeking some sort of justification that he may be wrong.

"Well then we should help the Hammer head crew if they aren't attacking us" Sabine stated as she awaited Hera's command.

"Why are they avoiding us? They have more than enough firepower to attack every ship we have yet they're not" Hera slowly turned the ship towards the busted Hammer head and began to move towards it.

"Hammer head three this is Ghost. Prepare for a quick pick up and extraction" Hera spoke through the coms.

"Negative Ghost keep your distance. They've locked onto us" The captain called "Retreat and regroup. We will be" The captain got cut off as two star destroyers opened fire on the defenseless ship.

"Carabass" Zeb said aloud as everybody watched the ship get struck multiple times from the two closest star destroyers. The ship didn't stand a chance and with its shields down it took only a matter of seconds before it exploded leaving little hope of any survivors.

"All units regroup and retreat" Hera tried to remain calm as she gave the order

"HERA!" Sabine screamed from the console as it lit up again

"WHAT" Hera was getting annoyed but soon realized what Sabine was trying to say

The Ghost and Hammer head four had regrouped leaving Hammer head one alone. Hammer head one had been cut off from regrouping by two star destroyers. It was dodging their attacks as best it could and as far as Hera could see it's shields were still up which may be the only reason it was able to make it as far as it did. All A wing fighters had already made the jump as they were no longer of any use.

Hera turned back towards her controls and began to turn the ship further from the battle. That's when she saw it.

Three star destroyers emerged only four hundred yards from the Ghost and retreating Hammer head ship.

"A trap" Hera spoke softly

"They knew we were coming" Sabine spoke

"HAMMER HEAD ONE MAKE THE JUMP" Hera angled the Ghost farther right for the small gap that the new destroyers left. The gap was barely big enough for them to make an uninterrupted jump and it almost seemed conveniently placed.

Hera glanced back just in time to see Hammer head one taking on the full onslaught of the remaining star destroyers

"MAKE THE JUMP HAMMER HEAD ONE" Hera commanded and was relieved as only a few seconds later the ship made a successful jump.

"Hammer head four to Commander Syndulla. Engines have been hit. Hyper drive down. We won't be able to make the jump"

"Hold on commander we are coming back for you" Hera began to turn

"That's suicide" Zeb said aloud

"We don't leave our solders behind" Hera shot back

"Hera, we can't do this. We have to retreat" Sabine interjected

"Hammer head one to Commander Syndulla. Your crew is right. Retreat while you still can"

Hera looked down at her hands as she weighted what was being asked of her. She didn't want to lose two ships and countless crew but in all honesty what could one ship do against this overwhelming force? That was the answer Hera got but wasn't happy with.

"Hammer head one. May the force be with you" Hera returned to her regular trajectory looking to jump. Still perplexed why none of the destroyers were attempting an attack on the ship.

"Ready to jump" Hera went for the switch when Kanan grabbed her hands

"Not here. Somethings coming. Move…MOVE NOW" Kanan shouted but it was too late.

A fourth star destroyer emerged from the jump not one hundred yards from the Ghost.

"CARABASS" Zeb yelled as Hera made a quick turn to avoid an impact with the ships shields.

"They're locking onto us" Sabine called "They're gonna catch us"

"Not if I can help it" Hera pulled back on the throttle forcing the ship into an upward climb and forcing it to turn in mid turn. Before anyone knew it, they were facing away from the destroyer but they didn't have a lot of options.

"Anybody got an idea?" Hera was trying to weigh in on her options but didn't see anything that she thought would work

"Turn around" Kanan spoke softly

"Excuse me?" Hera looked in disbelief

"Turn around and make the jump under the destroyer" Kanan seemed to be in a bit of a daze

"Uh not sure if you heard me but they are locking onto us with their tractor beam" Sabine reminded him

"Turn around and edge closer…I'll tell you when" Kanan seemed so sure and this did not go unnoticed by the rest of the crew

"Okay. Hold on" Hera spun the ship around and went into attack position. Aiming for the underside of the destroyer Hera accelerated

" _What is happening on the bridge. Who is that?" Kanan was thinking to himself "Can it be?"_

"KANAN" Hera was anxious

"Huh? OH NOW" Kanan ordered and Hera hit the switch.

The Ghost had escaped

(Star Destroyer Ascension)

"Lord Vader it appears that the ship with the call sign of "Ghost" is no longer in our sector" A man spoke "But we have reports that one rebel ship has been destroyed and several small fighters taken down as well. Also, one rebel ship remains. Scans indicate engine and hyperdrive are down"

Ezra was standing motionless beside Vader as he looked through the empty space before him. Several A wing fighters that had been destroyed as well as the wreckage of a Hammer head ship float their almost calmly. It seemed that he ships had finally found peace as they were not longer being put through the stressors of war.

"Now you understand the power of the empire" Vader spoke to Ezra who was still having trouble paying attention to anything after what he was witnessing.

"Lord Vader the other Hammer head ship has sent a signal. They wish to discuss terms of surrender"

"Take me to the ship" Vader spoke again beside Ezra who still had yet to move

The star destroyer slowly turned and made its way towards the crippled ship in the distance. The damage did not seem to be sever but Ezra did notice the engines had gone cold and no longer glowed red from the immense heat that usually propels the mighty ship forward.

"What should we do?" Vader asked and it took a few moments before Ezra realized he was talking to him

"What?" Ezra looked up at Vader with an almost sleepy look on his face

"The rebel ship, what should we do with the prisoners?" Vader asked again

"c…capture the ship. Transport prisoners to a detention center?" Ezra asked

"What use would these prisoners be to the empire?" Vader never moved and it seemed as though he already made up his mind and wanted Ezra to come to the same conclusion as him

"The r...rebel base. They could tell you where" Ezra began

"We have you for that" Vader looked down at him "And even if you don't cooperate your friends will return. Eventually we will catch one and then we will see if you wish to cooperate" Vader stared down Ezra and for the first time Ezra felt smaller than he'd ever felt before "What do we do?"

"I don't know…What do you do with prisoners?" Ezra finally asked

"What prisoners?" Vader again faced out towards the Hammer head as did Ezra

"No" Ezra stepped forward as the multiple mounted guns on the star destroyer took aim.

The sight took mere moments but it brought Ezra almost to tears. The Hammer head was completely defenseless and in one fell swoop the empire had obliterated them. They never stood a chance.

"They were weak. You are weak. But you could become stronger" Vader spoke aloud but it was clear he was talking to Ezra "You have information that I seek and I have the key to making you stronger. Become my apprentice and I will make you strong. Renounce the ways of the Jedi and embrace me as your new master. Only then will you obtain the strength you seek" Vader let silence fall over the bridge as he awaited the response.

Ezra was staring out the window as Vader finished speaking and his thoughts began to run wild. The empire had destroyed a huge portion of the rebel fleet with little to no losses. Could his friends ever hope to win this fight if he couldn't become stronger? What would happen to his friends? Maybe next time Vader wouldn't be as merciful as he had been this time.

Ezra closed his eyes as he rethought what he wanted for his future. Thinking through his past and present and what lead him to this point. Ezra opened his eyes and with a slow breath spoke.

"Master?"


	5. Chapter 5

"He went this way" A trooper called as they ran down the hallway bypassing a dark dead-end turn.

Down the dark hallway a small figure poked his head out from behind a stack of imperial supplies. Ezra surveyed the surroundings and when he was satisfied that the troopers had believed he kept on running he finally allowed himself to relax.

"What am I going to do?" Ezra rested his back against the supplies and tried to gather his thoughts. "UGH" Ezra grabbed his head in annoyance "Why can't I seem to reach out with the force?" Ezra asked aloud.

For the past few days Ezra had slowly realized that he was losing his ability to reach out to Kanan through the force. At first it was a subtle finding Kanan or trying to send him a message through thought. All attempts had failed. Now it was much worse it was as if he got a minor head ache whenever he thought of Kanan and he wasn't sure why. This inconvenience had made his current task that much more difficult.

"Commander?" A trooper spoke which caught Ezra's attention. The trooper commander. The target.

Ezra smiled as he snuck a peek down the hallway at the intersection where three storm troopers were standing around. If it wasn't for the orange band on the one troopers shoulder it may have been difficult to determine who the commander was. Ezra would have been happy to make a move right then and there except for two things. One; He was unsure if they had backup nearby that would or could foil his plan and two. Probably the most important reason, he was in a dead-end hallway that was meant for storing supplies. Nowhere to escape to if he was confronted.

Just then a light flashed across Ezra's face causing him to half duck half fall back behind the boxes he was currently hiding behind.

"You two come with me" Ezra heard the commander order as the echo of footsteps slowly started to fill the dead-end hallway.

"Guess I have no choice" Ezra spoke aloud to himself and immediately heard the footsteps stop.

"Come out with your hands up" The trooper ordered

"Alright. Don't shoot" Ezra emerged from behind the crates "Looks like you caught me again" Ezra smirked "Guess you'll want to take me to Vader again" Ezra began walking towards the troopers.

"Actually, we are under Vader's strict orders to kill on sight" All thee troopers lifted their blaster rifles.

"WHAT?" Ezra threw his hands out in front of him to defend himself.

Two stormtroopers were thrown through the air with such force that there was a sickening crack heard as they hit the wall at the far end of the corridor. The commander took aim and fired.

"AHHHH" Ezra felt the searing pain as the blaster shot struck him in the left shoulder and exited through the back of his suit. What happened next was a blur.

"What are you going to do with him?" Vader approached Ezra who had the commander pinned against the wall and had a strangle hold on his throat.

"WHY DID YOU ORDER HIM TO KILL ME?" Ezra turned his attention to Vader but kept his choke hold locked on the trooper commander.

"It was in your best interest" Vader spoke in the monotonous tone that Ezra had gotten tired of hearing.

"You said you would help me become stronger. Now you're trying to kill me" Ezra spat and subconsciously tightened his grip on the trooper's throat

"This was the only way to increase your power" Vader looked at the trooper helplessly grasping at his throat

"HOW? STOP TALKING IN RIDDLES AND TELL ME HOW?" Ezra had taken a few steps towards Vader to try and show he was in no mood for these stupid games.

"In a real battle the enemy will shoot to kill. You had to be broken of the illusion of no consequences. Thus you will grow in power" Vader responded much to Ezra's surprise. Ezra also hated to admit it but what Vader had said did make sense to him on a basic level.

"Now that you have your target what do you do?" Vader asked again.

Ezra blinked his eyes as he attempted to reorient himself and turned to look back at the trooper commander he had pinned against the wall. To Ezra's shock the trooper was still pinned against the wall but was a few feet away from Ezra. Slowly looking down Ezra saw his hand was still outstretched as if he was still physically holding the trooper by the throat.

"WHAT!?" Ezra threw his hand up in a mixture of confusion and terror releasing the trooper commander. Ezra lost all focus on the commander and did not even register the fact that he had retrieved his blaster and had leveled it at him.

"What was I…" Ezra felt as if he was in a trance. Even as he raised his head and looked down the barrel of the blaster he did nothing to defend himself.

"Stop" Vader interjected as the trooper was about to pull the trigger

"Yes sir" the trooper lowered his weapon swiftly in what Ezra could only assume was out of immense respect, or fear, for the dark lord.

"What did I?..." Ezra was unsure how to ask the question or even if he wanted to know the answer.

"You gave into your anger and hate. You have begun to tap into your true power" Vader turned and began walking down the hallway

"True power huh?" Ezra asked falling in line beside Vader whilst inspecting his hands as if dark lightening was about to shoot from his finger tips

"You are ready for your first real test" Vader spoke aloud and as always never looked down at Ezra just assuming he heard every word.

"Test? Like with more troopers?" Ezra returned his attention to what Vader was saying

"No. You've been training with the troopers for weeks now. You will now face the toughest test yet" Vader made a right turn with Ezra not even missing a beat and maintaining his pace alongside the Dark Lord.

"Ahhh Lord Vader" Admiral Varus emerged from a side corridor almost like a puppy following his master.

Ezra found the man insufferable but he also sensed something deep down. Ezra sensed within the depths of this Admirals mind he had a hate for Vader. He wasn't sure why but Ezra felt this was something he could exploit.

"Here is the information you requested" Varus handed Vader some information as he fell in line on the other side of the Dark lord.

"Very good Admiral. Prepare a shuttle to bring us to Lothal" Vader never missed a beat as he casually looked the information over

"Yes my lord" Varus made a swift left turn and made his way towards the hanger bay

"My test is on Lothal?" Ezra asked but got no answer.

After a few weeks Ezra had learned not to push Vader for answers. He would answer his question when he was ready and willing and no amount of pestering would change that. Ezra also learned quickly that he would not be hurt if he waited patiently for the answers he sought. He learned that hard way.

Despite Ezra not fully trusting Vader and not wanting to join the dark side he couldn't argue with his results. Ezra had seen it almost within the first week of his "Training" that he was getting stronger. He felt it deep down within himself. Every time Vader pushed him to the edge of his ability he was forced to adapt and break through his limitations. The more violently he was forced to break through and adapt the stronger he felt.

"Commander bring up a map of the Lothal city" Vader spoke to a chubby looking official in a suit that looked as if he spent most his time eating sweets and sitting down.

"Yes sir" the fat man spoke as he quickly brought up a map of the city onto the holo display in the middle of the room.

"For a week now, our trooper guards have been getting ambushed by what we deem as a rebel cell. They seem to target our patrols with four or less troopers so we have increased our patrols to five or more for the purpose of avoiding attack. It has worked" A slender man spoke from under his imperial hat obviously he and Vader had already planned this "test" and they were now going through the motions to fill Ezra in.

"If it worked what do you need me for?" Ezra asked confused

"It has warded off attack by this small cell of rebels but the fact remains. There are rebels on the surface and we need them to be dealt with" the man responded

"You mean you want me…" Ezra stared at the two-other people around the table

"Precisely" the trooper commander approached the table from behind Ezra "We want you to help us capture and deal with them"

"The problem is we don't know where they operate out of or where they will attack next" the skinny man spoke again

"I say we force it out of the locals. Someone knows something and if we interrogate enough people sooner or later someone will tell us what we want to know" The commander spoke aloud sounding as though he had pitched this idea before and was shot down.

"I've told you before that will take to long and we don't have time to waste on fake leads that the locals are bound to give" the skinny man shot back obviously the one who shot the idea down before

"Well if you have a better idea then please share it otherwise we will do it my way" the trooper commander was obviously annoyed even though his helmet kept his face hidden.

The two continued to argue back and forth but Ezra's mind became preoccupied. He felt the presence of someone else in his mind. Rooting around inside his head. Ezra turned to Vader who he assumed was staring right at him from the other side of the table. Vader seemed to be waiting for him to do something…say something. Ezra understood.

"We set a trap" Ezra spoke up causing the two arguing men to stop and look at him

"What trap could we possibly set that they would not fall for?" the skinny man asked as if it was a stupid idea.

"Shut it, I want to hear what he has to say" the commander turned to Ezra "What kind of trap?"

"Well we can't just send out a detachment of four troopers because you've been sending five for the longest time it would be obvious" Ezra still felt the pressure deep in his mind "We need to lure them out with a group of five that they cannot ignore" Ezra gripped his head as it went ablaze with pressure. He almost stumbled but caught himself before he could do so. Vader cocked his head ever so slightly as this did not go unnoticed.

"What could we possibly do to bring these rebels out to attack a group of five troopers?" The skinny man obviously trying to maintain control of the conversation asked.

"These rebels must be kids or young adults" Ezra spoke up again "The fact is they are too predictable and their plan of attack isn't common from what you would see from a true rebel cell. These kids are probably looking to join the real rebels and making their mark on Lothal is how they plan to do it" Ezra let that sink in but in honesty he needed the break. The pain in his head was subsiding and he just wanted to reorient himself.

"So we trick them into attacking a group of troopers and spring our trap. Then we destroy them" The trooper commander slammed his fist onto the table "Kid you're good at this" the commander began to laugh

"W…wait we can't just destroy them" Ezra suddenly felt scared for these people

"They are part of the rebel alliance and are traitors. They must be dealt with" The skinny man spoke up siding with the commander

"But" Ezra began

"Listen kid this is my objective and it will be my unit. I'm the commander of this mission and I say they are to be sentenced to death" the commander turned to Ezra in an almost aggressive manner.

It didn't surprise Ezra that the commander was hostile. For the past few weeks the troopers he was throwing around and knocking out had been the commander's troopers. If it hadn't been for Vader's orders he knew the commander would not have tolerated Ezra or his antics for as long as he had. But Ezra couldn't let them kill these kids who were just doing what he did at his age.

"But"

"NO! That is final. Come up with a plan and we will deal with the rebels" the commander was done listening to Ezra

"No harm will come to the rebels" Vader spoke up causing everyone around the table to stop talking and look at him attentively.

"But lord Vader" the commander spoke up first

"This will be the boys true test. He will develop a plan and decide the function of your group commander" Vader spoke with authority

"But my lord. He is a rebel himself. This could be a trap to escape" the commander finally voiced his true opinion of Ezra.

"The boy will not betray us. If he does he will be trapped on Lothal with nowhere to run. It is in his best interest to cooperate" Vader made it clear he was not looking for anymore input on his plan

"Yes, my lord" the commander understood his place and didn't push it further

"Furthermore, this operation will be turned over to the boy. You and your squad will follow all orders he assigns to you without question. If anyone defies him they will deal with me. Personally" Vader stepped back from the table.

"Y…yes sir" the commander was obviously annoyed with his orders but the consequences left little room to compromise.

"Get your arm fixed and meet me in the hanger bay" Vader ordered and left the table.

"Fixed?" Ezra looked down and realized he had forgotten about the blaster shot that tore through his arm. Ezra then got an idea.

"Commander please escort me to the medical bay" Ezra ordered in an overly cocky way.

"Aye…my lord" The commanders comment took Ezra aback. Did he know something Ezra didn't?

"I swear I could almost sense him" Kanan spoke to Hera on the Ghost.

"You'll find him" Hera reassured him with a gentle squeeze to his shoulder

"You don't understand Hera. I sensed him. He was right their but something was keeping me out. I don't know" Kanan hung his head as Hera just looked at how dejected Kanan felt.

"Any luck" Zeb walked into the Ghost followed by Sabine and Chopper

"No what about you two?" Hera turned to talk to the returning crew but left her hand on Kanan's shoulder.

"Nothing. We completed our deliveries then went to that abandoned Imperial station you guys found. Had Chopper here look through every file" Sabine explained

"Twice" Zeb added

"There was nothing on Ezra?" Hera seemed somewhat shocked

"Nothing" Sabine leaned against the far wall as she stared at her feet.

"It's been weeks or months" Kanan was mumbling "Why is he shutting me out?"

"Kanan, Ezra isn't shutting you out" Hera assured him but she snuck a longing look at Sabine and Zeb.

"We just gotta keep searching" Zeb said aloud "Ezra never gave up on you when you got captured. We're not giving up on him" Zeb smiled as his comments were met with approving smiles from the two women in the room.

"He's right" Hera leaned her head on his back "We're not giving up on him. We just have to keep searching"

The room fell silent as each member slowly lost themselves in thought.

"Should have just ripped my arm off" Ezra exited the medical bay gripping his wounded shoulder.

"Excuse me…Sir" Varus appeared almost out of nowhere

"WHOA hey" Ezra stumbled back a foot as Varus had actually startled him.

"Lord Vader asked that this be delivered to you" Varus held out his hands

"What is this?" Ezra eyed up the cloth in the Admirals hands.

"It's" the Admiral cleared his throat "Your new wardrobe" The Admiral handed the clothes over to Ezra who held them up to get a better look.

The robe Ezra held was midnight black that would obviously cover his entire body. The hood was especially large and Ezra could only surmise that this was to help hide his face while in the city. He then turned his attention to the new pants and shirt he had been handed. The pants were nothing special they were just as dark as the robe he would soon be wearing. The shirt however was obviously high quality. Ezra wasn't sure what it was made out of but it felt almost heavier then a shirt should…Varus answered his question without even being asked.

"It is lined with the empires newest prototype in blaster protective wear. It's been tested and found to protect from small blaster fire and can be effective against more advanced blasters as well. The robe is also laced with the same material" Varus almost seemed happy with himself as if he had designed these himself.

"Well thanks" Ezra smiled as he tried to move past Varus

"Lord Vader also requested I give you this" Varus seemed more hesitant now and this caught Ezra's attention. Varus had somewhat of a subtle smile on his face as he extended his hand.

"Is this a joke?" Ezra looked at what Varus held out towards him.

"I advised against this by the way" Varus spoke as Ezra took the item from him.


	6. Chapter 6

"And with the rebel forces all but completely removed from the city General Tarkin has reported peace all over Lothal" The broadcast cycled to a video of General Tarkin.

"Peace?" The young man leaned forward

"Enslavement is the empires idea of peace" The girl responded as she eyed their surroundings.

"All the more reason to stick it to the empire…well that and the credits" The previous boy chirped up

"Shut up…Do you want the empire to hear you?" She responded rather harshly

"You shut up" was the response.

"Both of you shut up" An older girl leaned forward. Her blonde hair falling around her shoulders and purple eyes piercing the two younger teenagers. Her torn up white shirt had the marking of a hard life served under the empire but the more recent damage was markings of her new-found defiance of these slavers. Even while sitting she carried herself with the utmost dignity and discipline.

"Sorry Zara" the two responded in unison.

"Now listen, Jho has some information that he said might help us. Now we are not supposed to be here so stop drawing attention to us. Cassadra adjust your hood…I can see your skin" Zara sat back against her seat trying to blend in and to her credit she was very successful as she seemed as if she belonged amongst the other sorry souls that found themselves in the cantina at this hour.

"Sorry" Cassadra quickly fumbled with her hood as she attempted to pull it over her head. Cassadra was young and very beautiful for her age. While working she would often have several men and boys approach her and attempt to ask her out. She would like to think that it was her personality or that her eyes glowed with the youthful innocence that attracted many but the truth was much simpler. Cassadra skin was bright pink and seemed to have an effect on men that caused them to become infatuated with her. She was unsure if this was true but it seemed to be the only excuse for why all these people seemed to blindly fall in love with her.

Most would consider this a curse or burden and Cassadra had felt that way…that was until she was approached by Zara.

Zara had asked if she wanted to be a part of a small group she was putting together. A group that would fight the empire and free Lothal from their influence. The more Zara spoke the more Cassadra felt in her heart that everything could become like it once was. The Empire could be driven from Lothal and the civilians would be free from this terrible reign of power. It took Cassadra less then a minute to make up her mind. Since that day she had been following Zara almost religiously.

"Yeah wouldn't want the troopers getting infatuated with you and blowing our cover" The boy chuckled under his breath

"Be quiet Trax" Cassadra fixed her hood and tried to hide her embarrassment

Trax had been a low-level thief that was spending his days stealing credits from shop keepers in order to live. Trax had just made off with a shops entire days earnings and was making a clean break down a nearby alley when he was suddenly tackled to the ground. The empire had caught him.

Trax was in the process of being placed under arrest when someone appeared near the end of the alley. Before anyone could ask a question, the troopers had dropped their guard and were gazing down the alley. Trax was smaller than them and so was just standing around dumbfounded as he couldn't see over their massed bodies to see what grabbed their attention. He was about to run when the attack came.

A blonde-haired woman dropped from the rooftops landing on the trooper in the back. Before he even hit the ground, she had turned the second trooper around and slammed an elbow into the side of his head. Two down and two to go. The third turned around just to be knocked out with the butt of the blaster his comrade had previously held. Zara then flicked the blaster to stun and hit the final trooper who was still dumbfounded by whatever was at the end of the alley.

"Your technique is alright but your execution is sloppy. With training you may be of use to me" Zara spoke to him as he tried to regain his composure, he hadn't realized how dumb he looked staring at the woman with awe etched into his facial features.

"Zara? Did I do good?" A pink girl appeared next to Zara and Trax found himself again losing himself but this time it was at the site of this new beautiful girl in front of him. This was not lost on Zara.

"Cassadra your hood" Zara scolded and Cassadra was quick to correct her mistake.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Trax asked as he made his way down the alley

"I wanted to know if you would ever consider stealing from the empire instead of civilians. Steal from those who make your life and mine miserable each and every day"

Trax didn't need another reason…as long as the credits were good.

"Can I get you three anything?" Jho approached the table.

"A round of whatever you got" Zara still in character said aloud

"Very well" Jho placed three napkins down on the table which to any spying eyes would not look out of place before returning to the bar.

As soon as Jho returned to the bar Zara sat forward and Trax and Cassadra followed suit.

"Give me your napkins" Zara held out her hand and was given both napkins. Slowly she started unfolding them as Cassadra kept a look out for anyone who may have been watching them.

"Okay so he should have left us a note on one of these…. Ahhh here it is" Zara unfolded the napkin and placed it on the center of the table.

 _Zara,_

 _The empire will be sending imperial troops to the bar today to check on payment and ensure certain conditions are met for a high-profile reason. Unsure of details but remain in bar. Listen to what they say. Could be the break you need._

 _J._

"So, we have to stay here?" Trax was obviously annoyed as sitting around doing nothing meant he wasn't making any credits.

"Yeah but if Jho thinks this High-Profile reason is good enough for us to stick around then we wait" Zara commanded more than stated

"I agree with Zara" Cassadra seconded her command

"Of course you do" Trax leaned back in his seat "Wake me when something interesting happens or credits are to be made"

"Trax" Cassadra quipped up but was silenced by a hand on her shoulder "Zara?" Cassadra began but then noticed her stare. Cassadra followed her gaze to see what she was looking at.

Across the bar in the shadows at a lone booth sat an individual that drew Zara's attention. A young man sat in a booth staring out among the bar though it was hard to tell what he may have been looking at. The shadows hid his face and any discernable features but Zara knew he was watching and it worried her. Something was wrong and Zara was about to get up when the door swung open and four troopers entered. One had the arm band of a commander.

"Jho" the commander called out as they approached the bar "We got some new orders for you and all your *Ahem* patrons" the troopers stopped just short of the bar as Jho finally acknowledged them

"And what orders would those be? I've already been ordered to close the bar by midnight" Jho responded a little louder then many would think natural but he hid it by seemingly getting angrier.

"The establishment is to be closed by nine tonight. By orders of our Lord" The commander raised his voice so everybody could hear.

"But that will take away many credits I require to pay the empire how will I keep my business open if you close me down before I can make any money?" Jho began to argue

"That is not our concern. You will close this establishment by nine tonight. A very important imperial inspector will be making rounds and any establishment that remains open will not remain standing for long. Our Lord wants nothing open for any rebels to be hiding in to ambush this official. You will comply or we will make you comply" The commander let his words sink in

"Fine I'll close by nine. Now if you'll excuse me I need to make money now since I close in four hours" Jho excused himself from the bar and began his rounds as the troopers turned on their heels and exited the bar.

Zara immediately returned her attention to the individual at the back of the bar in the shadows.

"He's gone…" The doubt and fear Zara felt came flooding back but she forced it aside to try and focus on the task at hand.

"Well that was a whole lot of waiting for nothing" Trax spoke to the group

"No, it wasn't" Cassadra responded

"She's right Trax. An Imperial inspector is coming through" Zara spoke to Trax

"So, what? Inspectors come through here every few months. Hardly worth our time or any credits we could make from it" Trax rested against the back of his seat again

"Yeah but an inspector was here last month. It's to early" Cassadra looked to Zara for affirmation she was right

"You both are missing the most important point" Zara saw Cassadra lower her head as Trax opened one eye to show he was listening "Not only are they closing down the bars for this inspector but this was ordered by Lord Vader" Zara looked between the two as they both looked at her with interest in their eyes.

"So that means" Cassadra started

"this guy is worth a lot of credits" Trax finished as he sat up straight now very interested

"And he may have information that could help us take down the empire. Maybe information on how to contact the rebels who were once here…the rebels we want to join" Zara added

"Then we can free Lothal" Cassadra almost squealed at the thought

"Shhhhh but yes. This could be the break we have been waiting for" Zara looked from Trax to Cassadra "Meet on top of the bar at seven tonight. We will wait their and plan our attack" Zara stood and the two stood with her.

Subtly the three exited the bar and went in different directions. They disappeared into the crowd as if they were just anybody that you would see and then forgotten just as easily. Unfortunately, they did not leave unnoticed.

"You think they bought it?" the commander spoke as he watched them leave

"Oh yeah…they'll be back"

"Your orders?" Commander asked

"Stun only. Let the girls escape if they run but capture the boy. We can break him. If any want to fight leave them to me"

"Yes my lord" the commander responded.

"Let's go we got some planning to do" Ezra hopped off the basket he was sitting on and threw on his black hood. "We have four hours"

"It's almost ten" Cassadra voiced her nervousness

"Think they bailed? Figured out what we were planning? Maybe took a different route to throw any rebels off" Trax threw out from his position against the far wall.

"No, they're coming…But something is wrong" Zara was staring down the main strip of road. Empty and no signs of life anywhere but she felt it

"See anything?" Trax appeared next to Zara as did Cassadra

"Not yet…. THERE" Zara spoke louder then she meant to but she quickly pointed down the street to try and keep Trax from making a smart ass comment about her voice.

At the end of the street they arrived. Four troopers and a robed figure following in close pursuit.

"Four troopers? They must have forgotten that's our lucky number" Trax smiled as he relaxed a little.

"This should be quick right Zara?" Cassadra asked with a smile

"No, it won't be" Zara kept looking down the street. Flanking the robed figure was four more troopers and at the rear was the commander the orange band giving him away. "Hoods up and get ready" Zara ordered.

"Wait we're still going for this? There are nine troopers. We can't win a fight against nine" Trax argued

"Trust me. I have a plan" Zara sounded confident

"Care to tell us then?" Trax was worried because they were getting closer.

"Wait for them to pass. Take out the commander since he's alone. From their I want Cassadra up front distracting the front group while we take out the rear guard. Once down Trax you grab the guy in the middle. Use a blaster to keep him from moving. I'll take care of the last four" Zara sounded so confident but she could tell the two were not sure if this was smart. Neither was she.

Zara was watching the first four passing under her when that same fear and doubt flooded into her subconscious and she found herself frozen in place. This wasn't right…something was seriously wrong. She had to abort the mission.

"I…think we should" Zara began

"FREEZE" A trooper yelled causing Zara to almost fall over as she feared they had been spotted. Looking around it didn't take Zara long to notice Cassadra was gone

"Oh no" Zara looked over the edge of the building and saw two troopers were standing around as all the other men who laid eyes on Cassadra did but the other two were leveling their weapons and barking orders. Needless to say, this alerted the group behind that something may be up and to Zara's horror they began advancing with the commander.

"Well now or never" Trax said as he jumped

Zara followed close behind never fully shaking the thought that this was going to end badly.

The commander grouped with the four troopers at the rear and they began walking towards the front at the sound of commotion.

"Looks like it's fun time boys" the commander spoke just as a body fell onto of him and sent him crashing into the dirt.

"WHAT?" the troopers all turned but Trax was fast and still a skilled thief. With a flip of his wrist he leveled the blaster he had stripped from the commander and blasted the nearest trooper. The last three began to lift their own blasters in retaliation when Zara landed.

Landing to the right of one trooper she used her right arm and wrapped it around the troopers' neck pulling and twisting until she heard a snap and the trooper fell limply to the dirt. One trooper took the second of distraction and jumped into a pile of boxes nearby taking himself right out of the line of fire as his brother in arms received a blaster shot to the chest and flew back a few feet hitting the ground hard.

"Commander we have a situation in the rear" the trooper began to speak into his helmet com as Trax turned the blaster at the boxes and opened fire. The trooper dove back behind the boxes to avoid the shots.

"Trax keep him occupied I'm going after Cassadra" Zara turned to run towards Cassadra

"Aren't you full of surprises?" The hooded figure spoke as he blocked Zara's path.

"RUN CASSADRA. RUN AND DON'T STOP!" Zara screamed but couldn't be sure if she was heard as the troopers blocked her view but it was obvious to Zara now. This was a trap.

"The girl is escaping" a trooper ran up to hooded man and relayed information.

"Stick to the plan"

"Ay, my lord" Was the response he gave as three troopers emerged from behind the hooded figure and advanced.

Zara prepared to be attacked from multiple side at the same time but to her astonishment they all bypassed her. She knew why.

"TRAX GET OUT OF HERE" Zara turned and yelled but saw Trax had already took of running. Zara gave him credit for abandoning the blaster as to not weigh him down. Hopefully he could escape. Zara then realized that only three troopers were after Trax and she could only guess that two were the ones that Cassadra had infatuated. Which meant Cassadra was being pursued by at least one trooper and he wouldn't be persuaded by her looks . "Please Cassadra get away" Zara spoke under her breath as she slowly turned back to the figure in front of her.

"I've been told you and your group have been quite troublesome. I can see why you have been labeled a threat…and that's why they sent me" Ezra took a step to his left

"You have no idea why I am a threat" Zara threatened

"Please enlighten me" Ezra took another step keeping both hands hidden within his robes.

"You're just another of Vader's inquisitors aren't you? I've seen your kind before and I know that you have been defeated on several occasions. You're nothing compared to Vader so you're not much of a threat to me" Zara scolded "I am stronger then you know and if you think you can take me lightly than you will end up like your commander over there" Zara pointed back at the unconscious commander "Then you will tell me how I can defeat Vader and destroy the empire" Zara finished as she took a step to her left.

"You can't just destroy the empire…I know" Ezra stopped "I witnessed the destructive power of the empire first hand. I've seen the pointless war being raged and seen the hopelessness of it all. The rebels fight a losing battle and the only thing you have to ask yourself is which side do you want to be on?"

"The rebels fight for freedom where the empire fights to enslave and oppress. The rebels fight for each other" Zara was beginning to go off

"THE REBELS ABANDON THEIR OWN…I know. I've seen them fight and as soon as they lost the retreated…they left their comrades behind and never come back for him" Ezra felt the anger welling within him at the memory.

"They fight for what is right" Zara responded "But I don't expect an Inquisitor to know anything about what is right"

"I am no Inquisitor, rebel" Ezra threw his right arm out grasping the item that fell into his hand. The lightsaber ignited in a vicious glow of red as Ezra brought it up to his chest.

"And I am no rebel, SITH SCUM" Zara threw her robe to the side and in one quick motion ignited her lightsaber which flared to life in a brilliant blue.

Zara brought the lightsaber against the side of her hip and bent down in an attack stance.

Screams filled the night air as both advanced.


	7. Chapter 7

Blue and red collided causing a brilliant glow of purple between the two combatants. Ezra trying to summon his anger from the depth of his heart to overthrow this young Jedi.

Zara calling upon her vast knowledge of everything she had been taught and practiced to overpower this Sith Lord.

To Ezra's surprise he found himself being pushed back by this young woman. This was not part of the plan and Ezra prided himself on being able to think on his feet.

"AHHH!" Ezra pushed with most of his strength and managed to throw the woman a few feet back and knock her off balance. Ezra finished with a side swipe to her midsection that was clearly too short to hit her but then again, he wasn't trying to hit her.

"Whoa" Zara jumped back another few feet as the lightsaber came within a foot of her midsection.

"What is your name?" Ezra spoke as he brought his lightsaber back to his front in an offensive/defensive combination.

"Zara…And you? What is your name Sith?" Zara responded

"I have no…official name yet" Ezra lied mainly because he was stalling for time and he did not want her to leak his name in case she got away and contacted the rebels

"You're just an apprentice?" Zara smirked as she eyed Ezra up and down

"So, what? I am still stronger than you" Ezra smirked back although his face was still concealed by the cloak he wore

"Strength has nothing to do with it now. You may already be dead. You just don't realize it" Zara's smile grew

"What are you talking about?" Ezra was getting annoyed

"Your master never told you about the rule of two, did he?" Zara now openly laughed as the silence between her and this boy was confirmation enough. Zara made a mistake though.

Zara's laughter not only annoyed Ezra but the fact that she knew something he didn't seem to know or couldn't remember made him angry. And anger was his strength. Ezra embraced this.

"Enough" Ezra drew his hand back and with all his force threw Zara against the far wall.

Zara hit the wall with a dull thud and to her surprise she felt the air leave her lungs and her lightsaber leave her hand. She landed on her hands and knees trying to catch her breath as her lightsaber hit the ground and roll away from her.

"I may be just an apprentice now but I will soon become the strongest force wielder in the galaxy" Ezra began walking towards Zara who had yet to recover from the impact. "Vader is teaching me to become stronger but when he teaches me all I need to know then I will strike him down. I will take the fight to the empire. I will end this war" Ezra stopped speaking when he heard laughter

"Well I see you took one thing away from Vader's training" Zara laughed as she rose up to her knees.

"What?" Ezra was confused

"Just like all Sith you talk to much. My master found me and trained me because she saw I could use the force too…And she taught me the value of not talking when you have the upper hand" Zara drew her right and left hand back "Let me show you"

"NO" Ezra threw up his hands in a defensive posture as Zara threw him through the air

The wall hit Ezra with enough force to knock some of the wind from his lungs. A lesser apprentice would have been knocked out or at least rendered defenseless…but Ezra wasn't a lesser apprentice.

Ezra hit the ground and immediately rolled through bringing his lightsaber above his head for the strike he anticipated.

"AHHHH" Zara screamed as her lightsaber connected with Ezra's a mere second before she would have finished him.

"HAH" Ezra pushed back on his own weapon and threw Zara a few paces back allowing him to get to his feet while she landed softly on hers. Both took an offensive stance.

"That was impressive" Ezra boasted with sincerity in his voice

"You too. Not many know to bring their lightsaber above their head to protect from my combination attack" Zara didn't move.

"Seems we are evenly matched" Ezra also never moved "But I fear not for long"

"What do you mean?" Zara was weary but knew it would mean death to get distracted now

"Stormtroopers closing in. A few minutes and I will have the upper hand" Ezra smiled but Zara saw how weak it was

"You don't want reinforcements?" Zara questioned

"I prefer to fight my own battles…always have" Ezra responded

"Then why join the empire? With your skills you could fight the empire and make this world a better place" Zara still didn't move

"I joined for one reason. Power" Ezra shifted his right foot forward "True power from mastering the light and dark side of the force. Becoming the greatest force wielder, this galaxy has ever known" the conviction in Ezra's eyes gave Zara a moment of pause.

"So…what happens to the galaxy when you gain this power?" Zara was watching Ezra's subtle movements

"Then I bring peace to all no matter their allegiance" Ezra's eyes darted back and forth as he and Zara silently agreed on the next move.

"One last attack?" Zara smiled

"Let's see who is faster" Ezra found himself smiling back

The two stood a mere four meters apart but in their minds, they were already fighting. Ezra saw his attack in his mind and figured he would move in a downward slash motion and at the last second change into a backhanded horizontal slash which should catch her off guard and allow him to win this fight.

Zara on the other hand decided on a different approach. If they both attacked it would end in a draw but a counter blow after a successful defense would allow her to win. A small glint caught her eye and her smile widened.

"And all without using my saber" Zara chuckled to herself.

Ezra moved

Like lightening he closed the distance with his saber raised above his head; to his satisfaction Zara dropped into a defensive stance and brought her own weapon above her head to defend. Ezra brought his saber down and at the moment of impact dropped to a crouch of his own while forcing his body to rotate into a backhanded horizontal slash. Everything had gone perfectly to plan.

"WHAT!?" Ezra cried as he came full circle and realized that Zara was no longer where she had been. Quickly stumbling to his feet Ezra was off balance as he didn't slow his movement beforehand. Ezra spun around and in a split second caught a glimpse of Zara. She was holding something in her hands which caused Ezra to widen his eyes as he failed to stop his movement. He knew it was all over.

"A blaster?" Ezra asked aloud as the blaster round struck Ezra square in the chest and sent him flying to the ground in a motionless heap.

"Heh didn't think Sith lords were that easy to kill" Zara stood up dropping the blaster "I got to admit though, He was pretty fun to fight against" Zara quickly recovered her robes and began to head towards a small alley to make her escape.

"Owwww" Zara stopped at the sound

"Well I'll be damned" Zara turned and walked up to Ezra "I guess you Sith lords are as hard to kill as they say" She stared down at the young man before her as she slowly reached for her saber.

"Damn…. that was pretty good" Ezra exhaled and quickly inhaled to try and catch his breath "Guess you've got to kill me now huh?" Ezra couldn't believe he had been caught off guard like that. He also wasn't expecting the force those blasters could hit you with. His arms felt limp and his legs refused to respond to his commands. Laying all but motionless on the ground Ezra had all but reserved himself to his fate. He lost

Zara stared down at the young man and knew what she should do. She should end his life and take one more ally away from the empire. She should bring her lightsaber up and strike him down before he had a chance to regroup or regain his strength. She shouldn't even let this man take one more breath. She should…but she couldn't

"I sense a great struggle within you. A dark side of immeasurable power but also a light side of unimaginable knowledge" Zara spoke aloud to Ezra

"Heh you sound like an old master I once knew" Ezra was still trying to catch his breath and ended up coughing "You know something?"

"What is that Sith…I mean, apprentice" Zara corrected herself

"No more Sith lord huh?" Ezra smiled as another coughing fit struck his body

"You don't have the feel of a Sith lord. I sense that you can still be persuaded to rejoin the light side and that is why I am sparing you" Zara couldn't help but smile at the young man before her who was obviously in a lot of pain "Now what did you want to say? Before I change my mind"

That last statement caused Ezra to smile a little.

"Two things actually" Ezra smiled to himself "You should head northeast of here. I purposefully left that area unguarded to allow you girls an escape if needed. It would be in your best interest to leave soon. Reinforcements are on their way" Ezra exhaled again and inhaled obviously close to catching his breath "And two..." Ezra laughed a little at the shocked expression on her face

"Two is, I can tell you will become stronger and more powerful than any Jedi I have met before" Ezra's breathing slowed as he began to regain his composure.

"Why do you say that?" Zara asked out of genuine curiosity

"You remind me of an old friend. She was strong, intelligent and never let anyone stand in her way. She never knew when to give up and always pushed forward to help her friends and allies. She was very noble and beautiful…and everything that I saw in her…I can see in you. I will be happy to pit my abilities against yours fully one day" Ezra finished

"You are the strangest apprentice of the dark side I have ever met" Zara almost laughed until she remembered his first point. He was prepared to let the girls escape. Why?

"Why were you going to allow us girls to..." It hit her in a second "TRAX!" the smile on Ezra's face told her all she needed to know "Damn you scum. I guess…Wait did you say you think I'm…"

"RUN NOW!" Ezra said more forcibly as he started to rise

Zara was about to argue when she heard them. A lot of them. Stormtroopers closing in.

"DAMN" Zara took off "This isn't over" She called behind her as she fled the area.

Ezra sat up and rested his head on his knee.

"Looking forward to it" He smiled as the stormtroopers rounded the corner and made their way towards him.

"Sir are you alright?" the first trooper asked as they ran up to him

"I'll be fine. Was the plan a success?" Ezra received help to his feet

"Yes sir" the troopers fell in line "We captured the thief as you requested"

"And the girl?"

"We gave her a good chase but she escaped. As you predicted"

"Very good. Well let's go have a chat with our guest" Ezra dusted himself off and threw his robe over his head and began walking towards his ship.

"And the other?" the trooper asked "We have reports she was spotted not far from here. A group is ready to intercept and take her down"

Ezra stopped and turned back towards the trooper who was issuing commands.

"Disengage and let her go. That is my order" Ezra's eyes showed no signs of joking and the trooper quickly called off the intercept team.

"My lord. Lord Vader demands an update" Another trooper approached Ezra

"Send it to my ship. I will take personal responsibility for this" Ezra adjusted his hood and began walking down the street.

(Chopper base)

"Did they say what it was about?" Kanan walked alongside Hera and Sabine as they all began to make their way towards the HQ.

"No. the line wasn't secure but he used rebel codes to indicate it was important" Hera responded "It's Jho so we should be able to trust him" Hera was amazed at the way Kanan was able to move around unassisted.

"I guess…I just have an uneasy feeling about this" Kanan couldn't pinpoint where his uneasy feeling was coming from but knew it was there.

"We should at least hear what he has to say before you go all doom and gloom on us" Sabine sidled up to Kanan and Hera.

"I suppose you're right" Kanan responded as the three slowly made their way towards HQ.

"Oh, common just tell me" Zeb spoke to Jho "I promise not to spoil it for the others"

"Zeb for the last time" Jho shook his head "NO"

"Oi you're no fun mate" Zeb leaned back in his chair and threw his arms behind his head.

"Who's no fun?" Hera asked as the three missing members entered the room

"Ahhh Hera, Kanan and Sabine so nice to see you again" Jho spoke causing Zeb to lean forward

"Hey what about me?" Zeb asked somewhat annoyed

"What about you?" Jho asked turning his attention to the other three causing Zeb to roll his eyes and lean back in his chair again

"So, what's this about?" Kanan asked just wanting to get to the point

"First is the line secure?" Hera asked before anything potentially vital could be intercepted

"Yes, General Syndulla" A man at a console responded

"Sorry Jho but…well you know" Hera apologized

"It's fine but this isn't a personal call. It's more...Business" Jho moved out of the hologram and a pair of new figures appeared.

"Hello" The blonde spoke with the second just standing there with their hood drawn over their head.

"And who are you?" even as Kanan spoke though he could feel a strong connection to the force coming from one of the two

"I am Zara and this is my companion Cassadra" Zara responded

"Why is she hiding her face?" Sabine quipped from the side of the hologram

"It is because of her species natural…" Zara cleared her throat "Allure. We find it best that she hides herself from everyone especially when we are conducting business" Zara patted Cassadra on the shoulder.

"And what exactly do you need us for?" Hera asked matter-of-factly

"Well to put it bluntly…We need your help. One of my group has been captured by the empire and we lack the strength to get him back on our own" Zara laid it all out for the rebels

"So, you want us to launch a rescue mission?" Kanan spoke with almost a chuckle in his voice

"I fail to see what is so funny" Zara took a stern tone with Kanan

"What's funny is the fact that you are contacting us from Lothal…Not exactly the easiest place for us to get to right now" Kanan looked around the table "And not really worth risking our lives for one member of a group we never heard of" Kanan finished.

Sabine traded a worried look with Zeb

"We are a small rebel group that has been striking against the empire. Making them sweat and rethink their occupation of Lothal. We are small but our cause is just. I was under the impression you rebels helped those in need. If you're too much of a coward then we will rescue Trax on our own" Zara more or less glared at Kanan through the hologram.

"Heh alright then" Kanan laughed "Good luck but before you get yourselves captured I need to know. What is so important about this one man that you would risk capture for?" Kanan smile worried Zeb, Sabine and Hera who all exchanged glances. This wasn't the Kanan they knew.

"He is a member of my crew. He laid down his life for me and Cassadra and I never leave a man behind. I'm sorry to have wasted your time" Zara began to turn away

"That's all I needed to know" Kanan smiled genuinely "Where can we meet you when we get to Lothal?" Kanan asked now sounding more like himself

"Really?" Zara turned around again with new hope in her eyes

"Yes…we will have to make special arrangements but we will get their" Kanan smiled

"Meet us at Jho's canteen. He will let us know when you arrive…And thank you" Zara turned away from the hologram "Cassadra come with me. We have some preparing to do"

The hologram was terminated

"So, we're going to Lothal?" Sabine asked aloud

"Looks like it" Hera smiled at Kanan

"Don't mean to burst your bubble but how are we going to get past the planets defenses? We didn't exactly make a dent the last time" Zeb pointed out reminding everyone of their last battle above Lothal

"I think Kanan has a plan for that" Hera smiled knowingly

"As a matter of fact, I do…I just don't like it" He exhaled in an exasperated tone

"Oh no not him" Zeb sighed

"We have no choice" Hera responded

The three looked around the table each smiling on the outside but worrying on the inside. Only Kanan kept his face looking straight forward. There was another reason he was planning to return to Lothal…It was the last place he sensed Ezra…He had to find him.

" _I'm coming Ezra"_ Kanan thought to himself


	8. Chapter 8

(Lothal)

"Ahhh…gsk….huuu" Ezra clawed at his throat in a desperate attempt to breath

"Do not fail me again" Vader dropped Ezra to the ground

"AHHHH" Ezra greedily took in oxygen that his body so desperately needed.

"Now tell me everything about this Jedi you encountered" Vader's gaze never wavered or changed

Ezra took a deep breath before regaining his composure and returning to his feet to stare at the large hologram of Vader in front of him.

"She was an apprentice but of who I do not know. She was strong and cunning and I made the mistake of overestimating my own power" Ezra hung his head, A feeling Vader could vaguely recall

"You lack discipline my apprentice" Vader spoke slowly as he usually did "This news of a new Jedi apprentice is troubling. It means there is a new master around…one I have not sensed yet" Vader took a moment to think

"Vader?" Ezra interrupted and flinched under the gaze of the dark lord. "What is the rule of two?" Ezra asked determined to get an answer

"The rule of two is Sith code. One master and one apprentice. Never less and never more" Vader spoke matter-of-factly which took Ezra by surprise

"But then how can I be your apprentice? Wouldn't that make three siths?" Ezra asked

"You are correct. The details of how you will play a part in this will be revealed in time" Vader spoke calmly but the weight of his words was heavy on Ezra's mind. "Is their anything else you would like to report?" Vader more or less demanded

"I have captured one of the rebels…I plan to interrogate him" Ezra smiled at his own genius plan

"Interrogation will reveal nothing. Finish him and begone with whatever plan you think you have" Vader ordered

"WHAT!? But I have an idea on how we can use him to lure out his crew and possibly lure the rebels out from hiding" Ezra begged

"very well" Vader turned away "But if you fail me again…it will be the last time" Vader's hologram was terminated

"Take me to the prisoner" Ezra ordered as he turned to take a seat

"Yes sir" the pilot responded and the ship banked rights towards the HQ.

(Chopper Base)

"Ahhh the lovely General Syndulla" Lando smiled at the crew but focused his attention on Hera "what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" His smile pissed Hera off

"We need a ride…to Lothal" Hera stated bluntly

"My, my that is a tall order" Lando stroked his chin as if he was seriously not considering the request "That is not something I can do right now" Lando smiled "Unless the payment was right"

"Figures" Kanan spoke aloud

"SHHH" Hera scolded him "What do you want?"

"Hmmmmm…I think A hundred thousand credits should do" Lando looked at the four faces in front of him

"HAHAHA A HUNDRED THOUSAND" Zeb burst out laughing

"We could buy our own fighter with that" Sabine spoke aloud but to nobody in particular

"We don't have that kind of credits Lando" Hera argued "But we do have some A wings" She bartered

"Hera, Hera; what could I possibly want with fighters" Lando again stroked his chin.

"The bastard had this figured out before we even contacted him" Hera whispered to the rest of the crew

"Maybe five thousand credits and two favors" Lando eyed Hera up sending the message that this was a final offer

"And what two favors would that be?" Hera didn't care right now

"I just need you to meet with my droid on Lothal. He will relay the favors I need accomplished" Lando smiled

"And if we can't accomplish these favors?" Hera placed her hands on her hips to extenuate her point

"Then the price of One hundred thousand credit will be my compensation" Lando smiled at their stunned faces

"Are two favors really worth ninety-five thousand credits?" Sabine asked Lando but stared at Zeb, Hera and Kanan

"Trust me young Mandalorian these two favors are worth more then that. I'm giving you a discount" Lando spoke in his oh so generous tone

"How charming" Hera chuckled

"So, do we have a deal?" Lando asked

"Deal" Kanan responded for the group

"Excellent. Meet me at the coordinates I send you. We will get you to Lothal" Lando terminated the hologram

"So now we just need five thousand credits" Sabine leaned back in her chair

"Small price to pay. I am more concerned about these favors we will have to do" Hera spoke

"Knowing Lando…It won't be easy" Kanan responded

"General Syndulla" a man at a console called" Coordinates received"

"Great" Hera turned back to her crew "Let's get to Lothal"

Sabine, Zeb and Kanan all nodded as they headed for the door. Not a single one of them was prepared for what they would encounter on Lothal. None of them would suspect…That one would not return.

(Lothal: Imperial HQ: Interrogation room 1A47C)

"JESUS" Trax screamed as one of the troopers shocked him again

"That's enough" Another trooper called causing the shock baton to be withdrawn

Trax slumped down in his seat as he tried desperately to catch his breath and untighten his muscles which were painfully tight from the constant shocks. He lost count after the first hour of how long he had been seated in the chair being subjected to this "interrogation" as they called it. Trax knew better though; This was torture. Unfortunately for these troopers Trax wasn't the kind of guy to give into torture.

"Ready to talk?" The trooper in charge asked for the tenth or hundredth time. Trax lost count of that too.

"Yeah. If you guys keep shocking me how am I going to tell you to screw…" Trax threw his head back and nearly bit his tongue off as he was shocked again.

"ENOUGH" A robed figure walked through the door

"Yes sir" the trooper immediately ceased the punishment.

"All, but the commander, are relieved" Ezra spoke in a more controlled manner.

Ezra had found himself getting angry when the door opened and he witnessed the form of persuasion that the empire deemed acceptable. He had a plan and had given orders earlier that the boy was not to be harmed. His mental state and perception of the empire at this point was critical to the success of Ezra's plan.

"Commander" Ezra turned to the remaining trooper as the door closed "When we are done here I want all those troopers taken care of"

"Ummm…Yes sir" the trooper hesitated

"Now as for you" Ezra turned his attention to Trax "I want a word with you" Ezra moved and sat down across the table from him.

"And what makes you think you have anything that would interest me?" Trax passively argued

"I know I have something you would be interested in. First, however, I want to have a talk" Ezra smiled from under his hood

"Oh yeah?" Trax eyed the figure in front of him. He was sure it was the same person from the ambush but doubted he had anything Trax would find interesting. Unless they had her.

"I used to be like you. Steal to survive whether it be from the empire or the citizens. You have to look out for yourself because if you don't…nobody will" Ezra smiled as he watched Trax's face change telling him he was on the right track. "You always look out for yourself and it always worked. One day you stumbled across a group of strangers. They gave you the belief or hope that you could have a better life with friends who watched you back for you" Ezra stopped to observe Trax's facial features.

Trax had begun the conversation with a smug smile plastered across his face but soon felt his smile wavering. He was very aware that as the man across the table was an Inquisitor or so he thought. Trax could not however discern the difference between him and this man sept for their allegiance. Trax smiled again. Allegiances could be broken and reformed in a matter of seconds.

Ezra had been caught off guard by Trax's smile after everything he had said but thankfully for him his hood hid the look of shock on his face.

"So, tell me something" Trax stared down Ezra "How is it two people so alike could end up on opposite sides of the conflict"

"Heh I was once like you. I fought the empire, and in truth, I felt like I was making a difference. I was taught a lot of abilities that made me powerful…then I saw that no matter how strong I became the empire was just too powerful to be destroyed by a few abilities and a new-found confidence. So, let me ask you a question" Ezra raised his head "When all chips are down and you know you have a losing hand. What can you do to ensure victory?" Ezra smiled at the confused look on Trax's face.

"What?" Trax had no idea what this guy in front of him was talking about

"Heh you told me all I need to know" Ezra leaned back a little "Now tell me…where does your allegiance lie? Friends? Family? Hope?" Ezra was disappointed that Trax had not reacted to anything on his list.

"You can't threaten me with harm to my family or friends. I keep both on a strict business only basis. Hope is an ideal that many people living under the empire are not lucky enough to have" Trax gave away more then he had anticipated but Ezra had learned a lot about reading your opponent from Vader's teaching.

"Business eh?" Ezra leaned in again "Tell me Trax…have you ever wanted to give up this life and just live comfortably without repercussions from the empire?" Trax flinched…Ezra saw "I can make it worth your while. The empire can make it worth your while. No more running or stealing. Your own land and more credits then you can spend in a life time" Ezra smiled and the faint glow of light revealed it to Trax

Trax had to admit the thought of never having to work again and having everything he could ever want was appealing. The credits would be a very nice and handsome bonus. But he knew what he would have to give up in return. Zara and Cassadra were his friends and they had been looking out for him since the day he had joined up with them. Zara had always valued his input, even if she usually shot his ideas down. They had formed a business partnership, in Trax's mind at least, but could he really give that up? Trax knew he was stalling and decided to ask the only question that mattered to him at that moment.

"Is this offer a Guarantee?"

(Lothal Orbit)

"Supply ship Cloud this is you last warning. Send your crew itinerary and cargo permits to the Ascension now or we will open fire" The stalky man at the coms table spoke into his mic.

"What's the hold up?" Varus appeared on the bridge

"Sir the ship is not responding to our hails" The stalky man responded

"Hmmm" Varus moved towards the com desk "Supply ship Cloud. This is Admiral Varus of the imperial army. Your crew list, supply permits and destination in the next ten seconds or you will be shot down" Varus let go of the coms "Lock on and prepare to fire"

"WHAT THE HELL?" Sabine yelled at the captain

"Hee hee hee I love making these Imperial bastards sweat" Came the reply

"They're not sweating" Hera pointed out the window "They're locking on" Hera was right as the Star destroyers main cannons began to move to intercept the small ship.

"Wha…OH CRAP…HOLD ON" the captain began frasntically hitting buttons

"Sir documents received. Scheduled supply run from Cloud city. Food and farming equipment for the locals. Crew list too" A man at another console spoke aloud

"Let me see the supply manifest and crew list" Varus walked towards the console

"Here you go sir"

Varus peered over the mans shoulder. Not caring about the permits but having a suspicion that he wanted confirmed. Supply manifest was all simple food and farming equipment and Varus wasn't concerned about what was being delivered but more or less the weight restrictions that the ship was obviously over on. Then came the crew list…Varus had his answer

"Ship you are cleared through to the landing docks. Find an open one and unload. You may depart as soon as you unload" Varus spoke into the com and moved up to the bridge. "If that ship leaves planet before tomorrow…Shoot it down immediately" Varus watched the ship descend towards Lothal

(Lothal canteen)

"Jho just informed me that their ship should be landing soon" Zara spoke quietly to Cassadra who had her hood pulled up over her head like always

"You really think they can help us get Trax back" Cassadra scanned the room they were in looking for anyone watching them

"I think we have a better chance with them then anyone else" Zara responded

"And you didn't tell them about the" Cassadra's eyes shot back and forth quickly before continuing "Sith you faced?"

"No…I figured that would be a conversation that would be best in person" Zara looked down at the table

"What about" Three figures walked into the canteen

"Storm troopers" Zara narrowed her eyes as she watched them walk up to the bar. The three troopers then turned facing all different directions. They were waiting.

"They know" Cassadra said a little louder then Zara would have liked

"They suspect…or someone high up suspects" If they knew they would have done something already" Zara kept them in her peripheral vision "Don't draw attention. We can still make this work"

"No, we need to leave" Cassadra made to get up but was shoved down by Zara grabbing her arms

"Leave now and they know they spooked us" Zara took another glance but with their helmets it was impossible to figure out who or where they were looking "Sit down and stay calm"

"ok" Cassadra whispered as she took her seat

"They are looking for a group of rebels expected to have landed" Jho brought over fresh glasses despite the two not needing them

"How did they find out?" Zara asked

"They don't know for sure but these rebels are smart. They will sneak in and out without arising suspicion" Jho collected the old glasses.

"Good for them but what about us?" Zara asked the question that she knew Cassadra was thinking

"Stay until closing. Any trouble and I have a few friends around the place ready to help you" Jho then returned to the bar

"Friends?" Cassadra started looking around for anyone keeping an eye on them.

"Cassadra stop. They are Jho's friends but they are not stupid. They won't draw attention to us just like we won't draw attention to them" Zara whispered

"But I need to know" Cassadra looked towards the canteen doors where four figures stood. Three living and one old droid unit.

Zara watched in fear as the troopers approached.

 **(AUTHOR NOTE)**

 **Sorry about the long wait and the lackluster two chapters. I purposefully left them like this to more or less advance the story. The following chapters will be more actioned pack but I need you faithful readers to read and review please. It helps me write and also, I find I take longer when I think nobody is reading my stories.**

 **Please read and review and if you have any criticism please let me know. When you tell me what you like and dislike it help me to become a better writer.**

 **Thank you**

 **3** **rd** **-Generation**


	9. Chapter 9

"Thanks for the lift" Sabine called as she strolled down the ships ramp towards the ground.

"No problem. Well it was a problem because I was well over weight for my permits. Luckily the blockade didn't inspect the ship" The pilot spoke from the top of the ramp.

"Well good luck with that" Sabine hopped off the ramp and began walking away

"What about Your package?" The captain seemed annoyed with the people he just snuck onto Lothal

"What package?" Hera turned back to face the ship's captain

"Lando sent this along too. Said you would need it for some favors you owed him" The captain pointed at a large crate on the edge of the ramp.

"First I'm hearing about it" Hera spoke and looked between the rest of her crew

"Either way, Zeb just grab it and let's get going" Sabine ordered as if she held more rank then him

"Heh little lady's not strong enough huh?" Zeb decided to poke fun at the riley teen as he made his way back up the ships ramp.

"Let's just get this over with" Sabine seemed to be in a bad mood and the crew had all noticed. Throughout the whole journey she had secluded herself in the cargo area and had refused to speak about what was happening.

This worried the crew but Hera had assured everyone she would tell them when she was good and ready. To everyone's credit they had given Sabine her space at this time but she still noticed all the side long glances they sent her way whenever they passed her.

She wished she could tell them…

"AHHHHHH" Zeb cried as he struggled against the giant crate which refused to budge. "What the bloody hell is this thing?" Zeb walked around the side looking for the manifest that would tell him but the captain beat him to it.

"It's an imperial grade information HUB. Specifically, it was meant to transmit and receive data and decrypt it almost instantaneously. Very expensive piece of hardware"

"And why do you know that?" Hera eyed up the captain that they had met a mere day ago "How do you know what's in the crate?"

"Nothing boards my ship unless I know everything" that captain eyed the crew on the ground "And I do know everything"

That last line sent a chill up Hera and Kanan's spine. Just how much did he actually know?

"IT WEIGHS HOW MUCH?" Zeb rounded the corner with the manifest in hand obviously missing the previous bit of conversation.

"10,000 pounds" The captain stated matter-of-factly

"And just how do you expect us to move it?" Hera now challenged. She was beginning to regret spending this much time with an unknown captain who was obviously not a people person

"Actually, I can help with that"

The crew turn to the approaching figure who had spoken the words.

"Lando" Hera looked less than thrilled

"Ah Hera" Lando grabbed her hand "As lovely as ever" Lando winked at her

"And just what are you doing here?" Hera drew her hand back and gave it a swing as if to throw something off her hand that wasn't there.

"Well to be honest I am here on business" Lando eyed the rest of the crew then turned to a few droids that had been following him "Load the crate onto my transport and have it returned to my humble abode" Lando turned back to the people in front of him as the droids hurried about their business. Picking up the crate as if it weighed nothing and making Zeb huff in anger as he descended the ramp behind them.

"Mind explaining?" Hera crossed her arms as Sabine and Zeb drew closer

"Certainly" Lando smiled and waited for everyone to be gathered around "The empire has requested a meeting with me and a few other representatives of Cloud city" Lando spoke low so any overzealous people nearby who liked to listen in on conversations could not hear.

"Why?" Sabine asked being drawn out of whatever was distracting her

"The Empire has been trying to gain a foot hold in Cloud City as it would make a great information HUB as well as allow them broader access to the galaxy. A place to unload and reload transports to reduce the wait times for their fleet across the galaxy" Lando paused to make sure everyone was caught up. Satisfied that they understood Lando continued "I have been able to keep the imperial influence out of Cloud city but fear I won't be able to much longer"

"Why not?" Hera asked

"The empire has amassed a record of debts and" Lando cleared his throat "Possible rebellious support we have leant out over the years. They are using this information to force a truce between us and also further their ability to take control of Cloud city"

"And you need us to destroy these records?" Kanan asked aloud what everyone else was thinking.

"What? No no no no no" Lando shakes his hands in front of his body

"Then what?" Sabine seemed confused

"If we delete the records that will just cause them to suspect us of tampering and we would be invaded. The empire does not want to destroy Cloud city and would prefer it remain a mutual ally. However, if they think we are trying to destroy imperial documents then that would be seen as an act of war"

"And the people of Cloud city would be put in the middle of it" Hera finished for him

"Exactly. Now what I want to do it this" Lando pulled out a large cylinder-shaped object and handed it to Hera "This device will interface with the imperial computers and allow you to transfer data to my computer and transfer it back with the original encryption still intact. The empire won't be able to track it" Lando smiled

"So, you basically want us to transfer information for you to use against the empire?" Kanan asked

"Haven't you been listening?" Sabine walked between Hera and Kanan "He wants the files put back onto the imperial consoles. Obviously, he wants us to change some of the information regarding his debts"

"Very clever young Mandalorian" Lando smiled at her but his praise fell on deaf ears "I also want you to change any information this computer finds on cloud cities dealings with your group" Lando had turned his attention back to Hera

"Okay so we will head their soon and you will be ready to receive the files and make changes" Hera spoke aloud forgetting where they were

"Noooooo" Lando looked around "It has to take place tomorrow while I am in a meeting with the empire" Lando lowered his voice "It has to seem like I am cooperating and if the files change while I am talking to them they will have no reason to suspect me since they will have a visual on me at all times" Lando straightened his clothes and stood up a little straighter "So please send me the Mandalorian and the Wookie tomorrow. You three will infiltrate the imperial command while I am at the meeting and we both walk away clean"

"Fine just tell us when" Hera agreed

"Who you calling a Wookie?" Zeb leaned in with a littler more then anger in his eyes

"Ha-ha I love this guy" Lando clapped Zeb on the shoulder and turned to walk away

"I'll show you what I love" Zeb reached for his weapon but Kanan stopped him with hand on his shoulder

"Just let him go"

"Yeah besides we have to meet the contacts at the cantina" Hera agreed with Kanan

"Let's just get this over with" Sabine brushed past the others and began walking

"I sense a great fear in her" Kanan spoke softly

"Give her time Kanan" Hera urged

"It can't be true…It just can't" Sabine spoke to herself as she continued walking.

* * *

After a half hour of walking the group stood outside the cantina doors. It had taken longer then they would have liked but when you are wanted by the empire the group had learned that taking the extra time was worth it.

"Well here we go" Hera took a step towards the door

"Why did we send Zeb to Lindo's place again?" Kanan asked

"Because he's no good at negotiating" Sabine was the first through the door followed by Kanan, Hera and Chopper

"So where is Jho?" Kanan asked as he couldn't exactly see at this point

"We have a bigger problem" Sabine stared straight ahead at the approaching storm troopers

"You four hold it right their" The lead trooper commanded

"Is there a problem?" Hera stepped in front of the group with a smile on her face

"We are expecting a group of rebels and you four seem to fit the bill" the lead trooper stopped only feet from the group

"I'm sorry but we are mere civilians taking a night out. Me and my Husband were taking our daughter out for a meal" Hera tried to smile convincingly

"And you chose to bring them to a cantina?" The trooper looked at the group while the other two appeared to be preparing their weapons

"Well my husband's helper droid here brought us to this location" Hera again smiled

"I feel like you"

Kanan stepped forward "We are normal civilians and there is nothing you need here" Kanan waved his hand in front of the trooper's face

"Yes…Carry on civilians" The troopers pushed past and exited the cantina

"Was that so hard" Kanan asked

"I was trying not to draw attention to us" Hera said annoyed

"We don't have time to waste" Kanan turned and headed for a booth at the back of the bar

"What's up with him?" Hera whispered to Sabine

"Who cares" Sabine had begun to annoy the group with her attitude

"Okay Sabine what is wrong with you?" Hera more or less demanded

"Nothing" She continued to walk towards Kanan

"I assume you two were the ones who contacted us" Kanan said as he approached the table

"How did you know?" Cassadra seemed shocked

"He's a Jedi" Zara spoke and almost slapped her face with annoyance

"Oh well nice to meet you" Cassadra stood up and extended her hand

"He's also blind" Zara spoke as she realized Cassadra hadn't yet noticed

"Anyway, what do you need our help with?" Hera caught up with Chopper close behind

"Take a seat and we will fill you in" Zara moved closer to Cassadra as the three others sat down

"Ok well two things we need help with. First and foremost is our partner and friend Trax" Zara began "He was captured by the empire and we are unaware of his current location or if he is okay"

"You don't think the empire has gotten anything out of him?" Kanan asked matter-of-factly

"No, Trax is our friend and I know we can count on him to remain quiet but if the empire realizes they won't get anything out of him then" Zara stopped speaking

"They won't hesitate to dispose of him" Hera finished her sentence

"So first of all, we have to find out where they are holding him" Kanan began

"Imperial HQ" Sabine spoke "That is where they would take him in case he did break. They have everything they need their"

"We can't just assume" Hera began

"He's their I know it" She countered

"How can you know?" Hera asked Sabine clearly getting to the end of her patience.

"I…I…I just do…Why can't you trust me?" Sabine was clearly flustered

"Because you're hiding something from us" Kanan responded for Hera

"Sabine, you know you can tell us anything" Hera tried a new approach

"Never mind" Sabine leaned back cocked her head to the side and folded her arms over her chest

"Ok fine" Hera left the girl to whatever she was hiding

"We will assume we can break into HQ and find information on Trax's location. We can do it while we are helping Lando. We can then go and rescue him and be done with this" Kanan turned to Zara "and you three will come with us and tell us what you know and who your master is" Kanan used the force to orient himself so he was looking at Zara

"I can't tell you who they are but I can tell you something you might need to know" Zara tried to change the subject

"And what would that be?" Hera beat Kanan

"There is someone else here that might stand in your way" Zara looked around making sure nobody was listening "A Sith apprentice"

"WHAT DOES HE LOOK LIKE?" Sabine shot forward

"I…uhhh don't really know" Zara was shocked as the young girls' speed

"I just assumed" Sabine began as she sat back again "That you would have seen his face"

"They are inexperienced but possess great power and they have an uncanny ability to survive" Zara recalled their brief encounter

"What do you mean?" Hera asked taking her attention off Sabine and looking to Zara

"During our fight I managed to get my hands on one of the blasters the troopers dropped and landed a shot to the chest area" Zara took a sip from her glass "And the bastard just said "oww" as if I had punched them in the guts"

"Nobody could survive a shot from a blaster unless they were armored" Kanan spoke remembering when Vader deflected Sabine's blaster shots back at her

"I don't think he had armor on…but I may have been mistaken" Zara Spoke "But he did reveal, whether by accident or on purpose, that Trax was the target the whole time. For what purpose I do not know but that is why we have to save him as soon as possible. So please let us get to work" Zara finished her drink and leaned back in her seat. Cassadra recognized this as Zara basically telling them she was done talking and ready for action.

"Okay we will have to wait until tomorrow but I think I have a plan" Kanan leaned forward resting his chin on his hands "Zara and Hera will break into Imperial HQ tomorrow, your Jedi powers are limited but will be useful, once in you two will make it to the central intelligence unit their and Hera will begin data transfer for Lando while Zara looks for information on Trax and helps protect Hera. Cassadra and myself will slip into another area of the HQ and once Trax's location is confirmed we will make our way to him. Rescue is a top priority here but you two" Kanan pointed at Zara and Hera using the force to guide him "Will retreat once your task is complete. Leave getting Trax out of there to me and Cassadra. We meet at the market place and make our way back to Landos place where we get off planet and debrief with the rebellion. Is that clear?" Kanan asked

"Sounds good to me" Hera and Zara responded at once

"I get to help you?" Cassadra looked at Kanan not really hiding her face from him as he was blind and not affected by her unusual charm.

"Me and you. I think you will turn out to be useful" Kanan acknowledged her

"But what about the Sith guy?" Cassadra spoke up out of shock at thinking Kanan forgot

"Evade and stay clear. I do not want anyone engaging this Sith apprentice as we cannot be sure Vader won't be close by or a stronger detachment of storm troopers. So, for the time being just avoid all confrontations with it. If fighting is necessary leave it to me or Zara"

"And what about me and Chopper?" Sabine was curious why he had not included her in the plan

"Chopper will be painted and accompany Hera and Zara as an imperial droid" Kanan spoke the next works with almost a distain in his voice "Sabine will stay with Zeb at Landos place and help with the editing and resending of the imperial files as they come through. That is a direct order" Kanan made sure it was clear this was not up for discussion

"Jeez" Sabine sat back again turning her face away from the group "Whatever I'll help with the stupid files"

* * *

"Left? Right? Left? Right? Which was do I go?" Trax was freaking out at the end of the hallway

"This way sir" The trooper's footfalls could be heard down the corridor echoing louder as they got closer to his position.

"Damn they want to kill me" Trax went Left "I hope this is the right way"

"Sir which way" The commander rounded the corner and realized he had no idea which way the prisoner went

"Right" Ezra appeared behind the captain

"Yes sir, all troops head right" the commander called as they ran down the hall

Ezra smiled as he calmly followed the troops. Trax may be an idiot but he did have certain skills that may come in handy. Ezra just needed him to stay alive long enough to put his plan into action.

Ezra stopped a few feet down the hallway. A familiar yet alien presence washed over him. One he had not felt in a long time. One that made him remember his old life and almost made him smile at the memory.

"Sabine"


End file.
